


House of Gods

by emanime5



Category: Ranma 1/2
Genre: A fantasy epic, AU, Akane love, Also kind of violent, Alternate Dimension, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Comedy, Falling In Love, Multi, Ranma and Akane, Real world to magic world, Romance, She's my girl, There's some magic crap here, because I felt like it, for good measure, gods and demons, kiss kiss, love and stuff, never too late, ranma/akane - Freeform, some making out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2020-06-26 19:57:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 40,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19775320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emanime5/pseuds/emanime5
Summary: “You hunt.”Akane clenched her fist, hard enough that her nails drew blood. A drop fell to the floor, mixing with the blood of the man who had been so kind to her. More innocent lives had been taken and Akane wouldn’t stand for it. It was the one thing she was really, truly good for.She lifted her jaw and replied, “I hunt.”





	1. Chapter 1

“Do you smell that?”

The woman turned, her long black hair rippling down her silver robes. “Smell?” she asked, tapping her ebony handled fan lightly against her chin.

“Burning flesh,” her companion said. He was leaning back against the palace railing, his elbows propped up and his chin pointed to the sky. “Is it Matsumoto again? Or have the villagers finally put themselves out of their misery?”

“Hm,” said the woman. She didn’t bother calling him a fool. It would be a waste of her time.

The Summoning had started last night, so subtly at first no one would have noticed it. She hadn’t even noticed it, until she had seen wisps of red energy floating skyward from the tower on the other side of the palace. Only she could see that power, and she hadn’t troubled herself to inform anyone else about it. It came as no surprise now when a breeze carried the growing, horrid stench of fire on skin toward them.

“Hold on,” said the man, lifting his lazy head, nose sniffing the air. “Is that feathers?” He turned toward the red-roofed tower, leaning beyond the shade of the balcony they stood on. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the old fowl’s shrine. Looks like we’re going to have a friend for dinner.” His sharp grin and long canines made it unclear if he meant he would be feasting with or on that friend. He pushed away from the balcony and headed inside, stretching his thick arms over his head. “I suppose we should warn the others.”

The woman looked down at the edge of the palace, beneath the tower. The edge of the forest started only a few yards from the stone wall, dark green canopies casting impenetrable, black shadows below. A rustling drew her sharp eyes, and she saw a large, pale silhouette shift between the tree trunks, moving impossibly fast.

It seemed there would be two friends for dinner.

Instead of following her companion inside to correct him, she leaned against the railing, fanning herself slightly to get rid of the smell. It was only a matter of time before everyone knew what was happening, anyway.

* * *

Akane loved quiet days when Ranma forgot to care about what anyone thought and ended up walking too close. She liked to pretend it was normal, that anyone watching them head home from school might think they were a nice, normal young couple. Not that she’d ever tell him that. He’d probably never walk next to her again.

Although, she did think that he was starting to get used to the idea of him and her. She wouldn’t go so far as to think that he _liked_ the idea yet, not in a romantic sense, anyway. But it had been too long—too many months, which turned into years, of fighting together and fighting each other and still managing to live under the same roof. It would be impossible not to develop a friendship, a companionship, at the very least. She had no doubts he felt at least that much for her. He’d proved it a hundred times, not just in the life-or-death chaos that seemed to follow him around like a hostile poltergeist, but in the day-to-day small errands and interactions.

On days like today, when nothing much had happened and they were meandering home at their own pace, conversation flowing effortlessly, Akane appreciated the friendship they had fought so hard to cultivate. It hadn’t taken long for him to become a permanent part of her life. Sometimes it felt strange to remember a time he hadn’t been there. Walking beside him now, she could feel his presence like a warm sun, a consistent glow beside her that she basked in, and he seemed perfectly happy to continue letting her do it.

If she laughed a little too hard at something he said, if she let her hand swing where it might bump his, if she hoped that his constant glances meant something more than friendship, she didn’t say it. They had made it this far, and if they were going to make it any further, they would get there in their own way and in their own time. Probably after several more years of living together, if she didn’t go crazy from the waiting and his stupid wishy-washy brain.

For now, she was content when he simply walked too close, as though she weren’t the last girl on earth he wanted to be seen with.

“He’s an idiot,” Ranma said flatly while Akane laughed. He’d just finished a story about his friend, Daisuke, who had slept through his alarm that weekend, and after a series of ridiculous events, one which included getting a ride from an ice cream cart that the owner made him pedal followed by a bad crash in the river, he barely made it to his college entrance exams.

“At least he got to take the test,” Akane said.

“Yeah, barely, the lucky jerk. He would have had to wait another full year if he’d been five minutes later, and then I’d never hear the end of his complaining about all of his plans being ruined.”

“Does he have a lot of plans?”

“Sure. Get into his top university the first semester; find a hot girlfriend the second semester; figure out a way into the coolest club, yet to be determined; graduate in exactly four years; find a fancy job downtown; marry his hot girlfriend, supposedly the same one from before; have two kids; get promoted; retire early; and die on the beach in his hot wife’s arms.”

Akane giggled, and Ranma smiled.

“Stupid, right?” he said.

She shrugged. “Well, at least he’s got dreams, and he seems to be working really hard to get there. Unlike some people.”

“What? I work hard. I just don’t gotta go to some fancy college to do what I want.”

She glanced up at him, but he was looking across the street at a couple kids chasing each other loudly. There was a shadow beneath his jaw that emphasized the muscle there, currently relaxed. He did work hard, training like crazy, she knew that. But to him martial arts probably didn’t feel that much like work. He loved it, more than anything, and he’d probably do whatever he had to in order to keep doing it. Like taking over the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. She wondered if he cared at all to run the dojo, cared at all to teach students who might slow him down. She wondered if he would think it was worth all the mundane work and having to marry her, or if he’d find some other way to keep doing what he loved. He had yet to give her any hint of his plans.

What would Akane do? This was the spring of their final year at school. Once they graduated, she knew her father would be pushing for her and Ranma to get hitched like his life depended on it, and no doubt he’d come crying to Akane as if it really did. Even if Akane tried to explain it to her father, she wasn’t sure he’d understand the delicate situation of her and Ranma’s friendship, or her intentions to wait it out and let Ranma come around on his own. If Soun and Genma tried to force something, Ranma would definitely be against it, and it would be left to Akane to try to please everyone. She was trying hard not to stress about the inevitable headache of this summer until she had to.

But even if Ranma did decide to marry her eventually, what would Akane do? With Ranma around, she wasn’t needed as a master at the dojo. When she was younger she dreamed of being the sole heir of her father’s martial arts legacy, and she had thought she was skilled enough, too. Not anymore. Not since Ranma and every random person who followed him across the world had shown her just how out of her depth she was. No one would come to challenge her, no one would come to learn from her.

So, what, then? Her father and sister, Kasumi, would try teaching her to be a housewife, but she was no good at that, either. The truth was, Ranma was better at cooking and sewing and remembering to clean the dojo. He didn’t need an incompetent housewife. Besides, Kasumi wasn’t planning on getting married and moving out any time soon, and her father Soun would still live at home. They would keep fulfilling the roles they had, and they didn’t need someone else trying to do the same thing. The house wasn’t big enough for that. Akane would be useless.

She could go to university, like her sister, Nabiki. It wasn’t too late to take entrance exams for some schools, and her grades were good enough to convince the teachers to pull some strings for her. But what would she study? She’d been so distracted the last few years, dealing with Ranma and every idiot who had it out for him and every girl who was always trying to get her hands on him, that she hadn’t had time to consider alternate future options. And if she did manage to get into a university, she would be gone all the time, and every rival she had for Ranma’s attention would descend like a vulture in her absence. Akane wouldn’t be there to remind Ranma that their friendship could turn into something more. He was too much of an idiot, and too inexperienced with girls, not to be swayed by someone else prettier and nicer and a better cook. So even if she did have something to study at university, she knew in her heart she wouldn’t go, too afraid to miss her chance with a boy she desperately wanted to recognize her.

“Akane?”

She snapped her head toward Ranma, who was two steps ahead, halfway turned back to her. She must have been lagging behind.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “You ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She smiled, picking up her pace again. She pretended not to notice his frown when she passed him and said, “It’s warm today. Hey, I know, we should stop for ice cream! All that talk about the ice cream cart put me in the mood for some.”

“Uh, yeah. Sure.”

He caught up to her in two long strides and fell into step. She ignored the sidelong look he gave her and kept smiling, determined to return to the easy conversation and comfortable companionship they’d had before. The weather really was nice, the trees were in full bloom, and no one had shown up to bother them yet. There was no reason she shouldn’t enjoy a good day during her last few months of this time in her life before it ended. She had a feeling she’d look back and think that these were the simpler years.

The slightest tug on her uniform from behind, right at her waist, made her turn. Ranma was looking down at the tiny bit of blue fabric in his fingers with a furrowed brow. His blue eyes flicked up to hers, suddenly so serious that Akane felt her heart jump into the back of her throat.

“Hey,” he said. “Can I ask you something?”

She didn’t dare open her mouth, afraid her heart would fall out of it and she would have to embarrassingly pick it up off the asphalt. So, she nodded.

He looked back down at his hand, where he was still lightly pinching a piece of her skirt. It was amazing how much he had grown in the two years she had known him. He was taller and broader and all of his baby fat had melted away. He still hadn’t gotten out of the habit of wearing his Chinese clothes and growing his pigtail out, but he just wouldn’t have been him without them. She watched the muscle in his jaw clench once, twice, before he said, “I forgot my wallet. Can you spot me?”

She didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or break his nose. She shoved his shoulder, hard enough to make him step back, and turned around with a groan, completely aware that he was grinning widely now.

“What? What did you think I was going to say?” he said.

She wouldn’t let him see her pink cheeks. “Screw you. You can just watch me eat ice cream, then.”

“Aw, come on, Akane!” There was still a shit-eating-grin sound to his voice.

“Are you an idiot, or are your jokes just getting that old?”

He laughed, which wasn’t an answer. He probably knew she’d give in and buy him ice cream anyway. She always did. Damn him and his stupid pretty face.

He was calling after her, but she stomped ahead. Let him suffer for a minute. It was the least he could do after making her stew in anxiety all the time over everything he said and every unreadable look and every compliment he gave to other girls.

Her huffy advance was cut off when she turned a corner and saw someone speeding toward her. They both skidded to a halt to avoid slamming into each other, stopping just inches away.

She blinked up at the familiar square face and thick shoulders. “Hi, Ryoga,” she greeted. “Where are you going in such a hurry?”

Ryoga stared back at her, as if not registering what he was seeing. Then he gave her a surprised smile, seemingly bashful for almost barreling through her at sixty miles an hour. “Oh, heh, hi Akane. H-how are you?”

“Ryoga?” Ranma said, coming up behind Akane. “What’s going on, man?”

“Hm?” Ryoga glanced up at him. “Oh yeah!” Ryoga slung an arm around Akane’s waist, startling her when he jerked her to him. He jumped, lifting them both into the air, and in her surprise Akane dropped her school bag.

“Hey!” Ranma shouted after them. “What’s the big—gack!”

Ranma narrowly avoided the flaming streak flying toward the spot Ryoga had been. It hit the pavement and exploded, sending a blast of hot air in every direction. The flames died immediately, dissipating into the air without so much as a puff of smoke or a scorch mark.

“What the heck was that?” Ranma asked as he landed beside Akane and Ryoga.

Ryoga didn’t have to explain when a flurry of throwing knives barely missed them, accompanied by a familiar voice, “Stop running, coward!”

With a flounce of white Chinese robes and long black hair, Mousse landed in front of them with a bounce.

“Ah, Ranma Saotome! I see you’ve come to watch the show,” Mousse said, pushing his glasses back into place.

“Uh, what show?” Ranma asked.

“The one where I demonstrate my new technique by turning Ryoga to a pile of bacon and squealing ashes!” Mousse laughed—hysterically, if Akane was any judge—and stepped into a fighting stance. “He was kind enough to offer to train with me.”

“He offered to train with you and you’re going to reduce him to ashes?” Akane asked.

“I did not offer!” Ryoga snapped. “You attacked me out of nowhere!”

“I gave you fair warning,” Mousse said. He shifted, bringing a hand forward, a long dagger in his grip. “Which is more than I’ll give Ranma when I see him.”

“Yo, I’m right here,” Ranma said. “Did ya already forget you talked to me?”

“Silence! Observe my new prowess!” Mousse slashed the dagger toward them. He was too far to do any damage, but Ryoga quickly pushed Ranma and Akane out of the way. To Akane’s surprise, a streak of red light flew from the end of Mousse’s knife and hurtled through the air, growing to a disk as long as Akane. When it passed them, the heat from it was so intense Akane had to throw a hand in front of her face. The flaming disk splattered against a cinderblock wall, although this time the wispy red bits sat and burned for a minute before they slowly disappeared. Was it fire? It must be, although it seemed strange to Akane.

“Whoa,” Ranma said. “Is his weapon enchanted or something?”

“It’s not coming from his weapon,” Ryoga replied, his narrowed eyes on Mousse. “Don’t you see? There’s something up with his ki. He’s shaving off little pieces of it and throwing them, and somehow, they’re burning hot. A minute ago, he hit a car and the entire thing vanished. It didn’t catch fire or explode, it just disappeared.”

“Disappeared?” Akane said, raising her eyebrows.

“Yeah. I think it may have evaporated on the spot.”

“That’s insane,” Ranma said. “Since when can Mousse control his ki like that?”

“Since now, I guess.”

Akane glanced back at Mousse. There—if she concentrated, she could see a slight red shimmer surrounding Mousse. It flickered, like a hot haze, extending five feet all around him. The gravel on the street at his feet started to glow red from the heat.

More worrying was Mousse himself. He looked ragged. His shoulders slumped, his breathing was heavy, and there was so much sweat on his skin that his glasses were sliding down his face. Whatever he was doing, whatever technique this was, was eating him up.

“Ranma, he doesn’t look so good,” Akane said. He followed her line of sight.

“Alright, Mousse,” Ranma said, stepping wider. “Whatever this is, you gotta stop. You’re going to hurt someone, or yourself.”

“Ha!” Mousse said, pulling an identical dagger from a place hidden in his robes. “If you want to run away with your tail between your legs, be my guest! I’ll accept that as your defeat!”

Mousse lunged forward and Akane tensed, prepared to defend herself. At the last second, she felt Ranma’s fingers wrap around her arm before she was pushed out of the way. Mousse attacked, chains and daggers speeding toward Ranma and Ryoga, which they knocked out of the way. They shifted and attacked back.

They were all moving too fast for her. She stepped back, frustrated, but knowing she would just be in the way. She was used to that by now.

Mousse was obviously tired, his attacks aimless and haphazard, and Akane knew Ranma and Ryoga could have taken him easily if it weren’t for the balls of red fire flying with every thrust of Mousse’s weapons. Ryoga and Ranma barely dodged out of their way, arms flailing and running into each other, trying not to be touched by the fire. One exploded across the street, taking out part of a lamp post, sending the top half crashing to the ground and Akane leaping out of its way.

From the fight, she heard Mousse’s laughter and wheezing words, as well as Ranma and Ryoga’s conversation, shouted back and forth.

“Do you mind? You’re getting in my way,” Ranma told Ryoga.

Ryoga scoffed. “ _Your_ way? In case you forgot, this is a fight between me and Mousse!”

“Yeah, as practice for when he fights _me_. Why pretend when he can have the real deal?”

“W-why you cocky jerk!”

A small breeze through the short hairs at the back of her neck made her pause. Through the distraction of the fighting and the smell of burning cloth and garbage and whatever else, the distinct sensation of peaceful silence fell around her, as though she had momentarily been pulled from reality. The smell of rich soil came to her nose, and the rustling of trees sounded in her ears, far away and perfectly green. It lasted only a moment, and then Akane was standing in the street again, watching Ranma somersault backward, only to smack into Ryoga, who was swinging his umbrella, trying to douse a tiny flame on the top of it. But she couldn’t shake the feeling there was something behind her when another little breeze floated by.

Akane turned around.

A few feet behind her on a wall was a circle of red flames. As tall as she was, the entire diameter was nothing but fire, sitting on the cinderblock as though the stone was something to burn. A wave of heat emanated from it, and with it came another strange whiff of soil, cool and moist. The smell traveled through Akane to the depths of her bones, like the first tremors of an earthquake.

Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the circle of fire, searching the flickering shadows. They were deep, far deeper than the stone wall. As she watched, hypnotized, something moved. A chill shot up her spine.

“Ranma,” she called immediately, not taking her eyes off the wall. “You should see this!”

“I’m a little busy, Akane!” he shouted back. Something crashed and Ryoga yelped.

“There’s something in these fireball things,” she said. “Something’s moving in there.”

A scream split the air and Akane flinched, spinning around. Mousse was in the middle of the street, hunched over with his hands over his head. Ranma and Ryoga stared down at him.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Ranma asked, taking a step forward.

“Get it away from me, get it away!” Mousse shouted. “Monster! Monster! Don’t let it get me!”

“What monster?” Ryoga glanced around the street. “What are you talking about?”

“That one!” Mousse pointed up and they looked into the clear blue, spring afternoon sky.

“There’s nothing there, Mousse,” Ranma said. “Look, let’s get you back home. You look sick.”

“It’s there, it’s there,” Mousse repeated mindlessly, sweat dripping down his face. A thin film of red fire coated his hands, singeing his white bell-sleeves.

“Get a grip, man!” Ryoga said. “You’re setting yourself on fire!”

Akane should help. Maybe there was some water nearby, maybe a hose. But before she could spring into action, she felt a tug so strong from behind that she gasped. Resisting it made her feel like she was being torn in two, so she faced the burning circle on the wall again. The flames licked higher and wider, and between the deep shadows Akane saw the dark trunks of an ancient forest.

Mousse screamed again, followed by Ranma’s panicked voice, “Akane, get out of the way!”

Then something slammed into her back and sent her hurtling straight through the fire.

* * *

The ground was hard and cool. Akane groaned, feeling the ache in her chest from crashing so hard. Her palms stung, covered in dirt and small bleeding cuts. She moved to sit up, but there was something hot and heavy on her back.

It was Mousse. His glasses had landed a couple feet away, and when Akane pushed him off he flopped limply to the ground. His eyes were squeezed shut and his breathing was labored, but at least he wasn’t currently on fire.

Akane looked around. They were sitting at the foot of several trees, dirt and mulch exposed between thick tree roots. The towering trees grew as far as she could see, tall enough and close enough that she couldn’t see the sky. Shadows coated the forest floor, and at night she imagined it would be chilly.

“Ranma?” she said. Her voice seemed quieter, soaked up by the bark and moss. “Ranma? Ryoga?”

Where was she? The mountains? But how far from home? She had been transported somehow. She’d known there was something weird about those fireballs. Grabbing Mousse by the front of his robes, she tried to wake him.

“Mousse, what kind of technique was that?” she asked, shaking him harder. “Mousse! Don’t sleep now, you jerk! It’s your fault we ended up here!”

She slapped him a couple times with no success, until she noticed his skin was crazy hot. She pushed his bangs aside, wet from so much sweat, and felt his forehead. “You’re burning up, Mousse.”

He looked bad. Really bad. She glanced around the trees, but there was no sign of Ranma or Ryoga, although they were no doubt trying to figure out what had happened to her. She hoped they weren’t too worried. On the other hand, she hoped Ranma _was_ worried. When he worried, it made her feel like she was important to him. Never mind that he was kind of a worrier when anyone was in trouble. He’d figure out how to get her and Mousse back, she knew that, but in the meantime, she hated sitting around, uselessly waiting.

She couldn’t get Mousse to return them back home in his current condition, and frankly, his fever was so bad right now she wondered if he wasn’t seriously ill. The least she could do was try and get some help for him.

Standing, she hoisted Mousse onto her back. She tried to memorize the small clearing in case she had to find her way back, then set off, keeping an eye out for a creek or any signs of a town.

It was funny. Maybe she should have been worried that she had fallen through a wall of fire and now had to wander around in these strange woods, but she wasn’t. The trees were dark and vast, but the sturdy earth beneath her feet was comforting. Wherever she was, she was safe. Ranma would find her soon, and then it would be back to normal life and her normal stresses yet again.

A twig snapped. A strong presence behind her made her suck in a sharp breath, and she barely dared turning towards it.

A beast towered among the trees. The shadows bent toward it, obscuring its full shape, but it’s short-haired hide was the pale color of a corpse’s skin. White eyes shown in its skull, fixed on Akane, and razor-sharp tusks as long as her arm curved around its snout.

Akane swallowed, carefully moving back, hoping she wasn’t a point of interest for it. She only made it two steps before the beast charged. In her panicked retreat, she tripped on a root, dropping Mousse unceremoniously on the ground. She wanted to run, but she couldn’t leave Mousse, and the beast was barreling towards her at break-neck speed.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

_4:15 PM_

Ranma stared blankly at the place Akane had been. Mousse, screaming like a moron, had somehow been thrown across the street, where the jerk had slammed into Akane, flinging both of them into one of his stupid fire circles. They had both disappeared in an instant, the fire with them.

Ryoga was standing next to the spot, calling Akane’s name and touching the stone wall like he’d find some secret way through it.

Ranma hadn’t moved. He couldn’t. She’d just disappeared. Evaporated. Right in front of him. He’d left her standing there by herself, and now she was gone. Stupid idiot, why hadn’t she gotten out of the way?

“Ranma, how can you just stand there? Akane’s gone!” Ryoga shouted. He looked on the verge of tears.

Ranma breathed for the first time in probably too long, then blurted out, “She said there was something moving.”

“What?”

“Akane. She said she saw something moving in the fire. There was something in it.”

“So, what does that mean?”

“I don’t know. But maybe all that stuff that disappeared didn’t get burned up. Maybe it’s still in there.” He had to believe that.

* * *

_Day 5_

Mousse wasn’t looking any better. He was worse, in fact. Covered in only a thin sheet, his skin was flushed and glistening with sweat, all of his muscles constricting. Beside him was his shirt, cleaned from forest mud, and his glasses. His eyes were open and searching the room, but he said he saw nothing. He was completely blind.

Akane sat at the edge of the room, watching the old man, the Frog, they had called him, gently wipe Mousse’s forehead with a foul-smelling liquid. This room was a small one in the Frog’s quarters, one section of the huge palace Akane had woken up in four days ago. She had panicked, clutching the silk sleeping robes she’d been put in while she slept, and running past servants to find Mousse. Finally, someone had returned her blue school uniform to her, which she had stubbornly put back on and not changed out of, and then taken her to where the foolish Chinese boy lay.

The Frog was kind. He was frail and wrinkled with no teeth, but he had comforted Akane and allowed her to stay in the room, even when several guards had shown up and told her to leave.

A girl had come in later, wearing an intricate blue kimono, her curly brown hair pulled up with a ribbon. She had waved the guards away and knelt beside Akane, sharing a dimpled smile and a cup of warm tea. Akane had accepted the tea gratefully, taking the opportunity to ask her questions.

Kitsane, the girl said her name was. The palace was a safe place, where Akane should feel at home. Mousse looked bad, but he would be fine. No, no one had seen a boy with a black pigtail wandering the woods looking for her.

Akane glanced toward the door. It had opened moments ago, shedding light from the hallway. The silhouette of a tall woman stood to one side, long hair falling to the ground, silver robes glinting in the light. The woman had said nothing and done nothing, and Akane felt uncomfortably that she was being sized-up. She had to bite her tongue to avoid snapping at the woman, asking her what she wanted.

Beside Akane was a window. It overlooked the grounds at the back of the palace, which was a long building, three stories high and built with ancient architecture and red roof tiles. Beyond the grounds was the forest, the leaves as dark green and the shadows as black as when Akane had first appeared in them. A breeze rustled the leaves, but Akane knew there would be no spirit beast, no White Boar, stalking the forest.

She clenched a hand to her chest, fighting the urge to leave Mousse and the Frog and feel the solid forest earth beneath her feet again, to run through the trees and sleep in the leaves. The desire wasn’t coming from Akane.

* * *

_5:01 PM_

“Tell me again,” Cologne said.

Ranma clenched and unclenched his fingers, feeling the knuckles pop. His voice was tight. “We’ve gone over this, already. He was throwing parts of his ki like fire balls, started screaming about a monster in the sky, and then he and Akane fell through some of his fire stuff and disappeared.”

“Hm. This is very strange,” Cologne said, tapping her staff against the table top she stood on. Ranma and Ryoga sat at the chairs in front of her, and none of them paid attention to the noodles that were boiling over in the back of the café. “Since he was a child, Mousse has specialized in the domestic art of Hidden Weaponry, like many of the men of our tribe. It’s true, when he loses control of his emotions, his battle aura can become quite powerful, but he has never been able to master ki techniques.”

Ranma’s impatience was growing, but he tried to hold it back, knowing that sort of thing didn’t work with Cologne. Ryoga wasn’t so careful. He slammed a fist on the table and said, “Well, he has now! So, what do we do about it, old lady? How do we get Akane back?”

“What kind of technique is this, anyway?” Ranma asked. “Where did he learn it?”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Cologne said. “He didn’t learn it from me.”

The back door opened and Shampoo walked in, her apron on and her long purple hair swinging against her back. She gasped with delight when she saw Ranma, “You come visit Shampoo! We have dinner together, yes? Why is pig boy here?”

“Shampoo, you don’t know anything about a new technique Mousse has learned, do you?” Cologne asked.

She explained the situation to her granddaughter, after which Shampoo said, “Aiya, so is true? Power is real.”

“Eh, so you do know about it, Shampoo?” Ranma asked, perking up. “What is it? What’s it do?”

Shampoo shook her head. “Shampoo doesn’t know. Neither does Mousse. He tell Shampoo this morning that he have dream great power come to him, and he use it to defeat all enemies. I laugh and tell him it never work on Ranma. He run out to find him.”

“A dream?” Ranma gaped. “What the hell? What does that mean? How do we find him and Akane?”

“Hm,” Cologne said again, twisting her staff. “Take me to where they disappeared.”

* * *

_Week 3_

The road had been long and muddy. Akane’s poor school shoes were caked in it, and her white socks would never be the same. She was annoyed about it, but there was another, new part of her that sort of loved it. That just made her angrier.

The palace was two days south of her. Mousse was still there—he hadn’t wanted to come when Akane had said she was leaving. Fine. Whatever. She didn’t need him, never mind the fact that he was the only person she knew in this strange land.

It was a strange land. A country called Taios, a world separated from the one she had come from, there were strange things here, even stranger than she had seen before. Soldiers on horses with swords guarded the palace, and the villages she had passed on the road were small and ancient, with no sign of modern amenities. The palace housed eight gods, who ruled and protected the land from the demons who crept from dark places to devour it.

Supposedly, anyway. It sounded like a load of crap to Akane.

She had met all the “gods”, and they had seemed more like a bunch of haughty creeps than protectors, except, of course, the Frog and Kitsane. And then they’d had the audacity to tell her and Mousse that they couldn’t go home. They were meant to stay there, too.

“You are the White Boar,” Kitsane had said with a smile, “Spirit of the Earth and Wood. You are meant to be nowhere but here.”

Whatever. Akane would rip the spirit of the Boar out of her if she knew how. Just knowing that it was sitting inside of her like a parasite made her feel molested.

Mousse hadn’t felt the same. The spirit in him had finally settled in, his fever disappearing. He was revitalized almost instantly, his eyesight coming back better than ever.

“Don’t you feel it, Akane?” Mousse had asked, looking down at his hands with wide eyes. “Don’t you feel like everything tastes different and looks different?”

“That’s just ‘cause you haven’t eaten in two weeks and you’re not wearing your glasses,” Akane had deadpanned.

“That’s my point,” he’d said. “I’m not wearing them, and I can see you just fine. What if I can learn things here? What if I can become strong, stronger than Ranma? What if I can finally get Shampoo to realize we’re perfect together?” He’d started to laugh then, quietly and getting louder and louder until he made the nearby servant girl sneak away.

Idiot.

Akane had told him it wasn’t worth it to her. She had classes to finish before she graduated, and three weeks away would have put her dangerously behind, and her father and sisters were probably worried sick. Ranma still hadn’t shown up, and wondering why only made her anxious. So, if no one else was going to help her, she’d find her own way home. She hoped she could do it, although the Frog’s farewell pat hadn’t given her confidence.

She’d reached the village that was closest to where she had been found in the woods. It would have taken her half a day to get there if she’d gone through the forest, but she had been afraid that the Boar spirit would have somehow taken over, never letting her leave the trees and turning her into a monster herself. She’d gotten directions from some palace servants and gone the long way around, but now that she was here, she wasn’t sure where to start.

She must have looked lost, and probably strange in her foreign clothes, because a kind farmer and his wife had approached her reverently. She explained that she was from far away and was just trying to get home, when her stomach had growled embarrassingly loudly. They had giggled and invited her home for lunch with them.

Now, Akane walked along a small dirt path toward the forest, the farmer’s two cheerful children skipping along beside her, leading the way. The farmer’s wife had told her of a shrine to the forest spirits, which was the only place Akane could think to start looking for answers. She laughed at the silly song the children were chanting, swinging hands with the little girl who had sidled up to her. It was the first time in days she’d felt comfortable around the people of Taios.

“Look out!” the little boy shouted suddenly, pointing. A large black horse was sprinting across an open field toward them with a terrified whinny, it’s long mane on fire. Akane grabbed the two children and dove out of the way, covering them. The horse’s heavy hooves pounded past them, and Akane could feel the vibrations in the ground as it disappeared.

No, that wasn’t the horse. She turned the way it had come. Black smoke streaked in the sky. On the horizon, a line of figures appeared, heavy armor, swords, and horses with them. The foot-falls of the approaching army traveled through the earth and through Akane. She knew without seeing or having to count that a thousand soldiers were marching toward the farmer’s quiet village, blood seeping into the soil behind them.

* * *

_6:37 PM_

“Ranma, honey, eat something,” Ukyo cooed.

Ranma popped a piece of okonomiyaki into his mouth. Ryoga sat at the counter next to him, sighing into his untouched food dramatically, a far-away look in his eyes. Ranma wanted to punch him. Not that it would have helped anything. Except maybe Ranma would have felt better.

“Come on, you two, this is Akane we’re talking about,” Ukyo said, leaning over the grill. She flipped her long brown hair back so it didn’t get in her way as she poured sauce. “She’s a tough girl, right?”

“Huh, no kidding,” Ranma said, propping his chin in his hand. “Wherever she is, that tomboy’s probably crazy pissed at Mousse and going on a rampage. Someone will call the police before long and we’ll have to go get her and save the locals.”

“See? She’ll be fine.” Ukyo smiled.

Ranma ate another piece of okonomiyaki to avoid having to smile back.

Cologne had been cryptic when he and Ryoga and shown her the scene of the crime. She had hopped around on her staff with narrowed eyes, and then said she had to check a few things and she’d get back to them. Ranma had watched her hop away, convincing himself that her unreadable expression was a good thing, that it meant the old mummy knew exactly which old scroll or clay tablet the reversal for Mousse’s technique was on.

In reality, Ranma was fighting the rising panic threatening to take him over.

It was only a few hours ago that he’d been thinking it had been a while since anything crazy had happened; that he hadn’t gotten in a real fight with Akane in a long time; that it was nice when he could have her laugh and her smile and the soft bumps of her shoulder against his all to himself. He didn’t get them to himself often enough.

Akane was tougher than the average chick on the street, it was true, but her natural aggression could only go so far. She wasn’t as strong or as skilled as most of the other martial artists they had come across. Not that it mattered to him—Akane was fine how she was, and he was always there to keep her safe. Every time she was taken, every time some jerk showed up staking a claim on her, he got her back. But each time he couldn’t help but be afraid that this time would be the one where he failed, when she got really hurt, when she chose someone else over him.

And right now, if she was in _real_ trouble, Ranma had no idea how to get to her.

“Honey, come on,” Ukyo said, talking to Ryoga. She had put her elbows on the counter in front of Ryoga, looking at him sympathetically. “Eat something.”

“I can’t,” Ryoga replied pathetically. Ranma resisted the urge to shove Ryoga’s food in his face.

“If you don’t eat something, you won’t have your usual strength. Then how are you supposed to go off and rescue Akane?” Ukyo said.

“Ah. You’re right. She might need me.” Ryoga perked up and started eating. Ukyo smiled warmly at the boy. They didn’t notice until a moment later that Ranma had stood and was headed to the door.

“Where you going, Ranma, honey?” Ukyo asked.

“Headed home,” Ranma said, waving over his shoulder. “Suppose I should tell the Tendo’s about all this.” He ignored Ryoga’s full-mouth protest and left.

Outside of the restaurant, the sun was setting. The warmth of the day was dying, and Ranma thought the spring wasn’t as nice anymore. He started out in the direction of home, but a few yards later his pace picked up until he sprung toward the nearest roof, scanning the streets, hoping to hear a familiar voice calling his name.

* * *

_Month 4_

There was blood in her mouth. Had she bitten her tongue? Was a tooth loose? She couldn’t tell. Everything hurt.

“Get up.”

She tried to speak, but her lungs were burning. She coughed, forcing the words out of her throat. “I…can’t.”

“You can. You just won’t.”

Her breaths came in shudders, and blood pounded in her ears. She had collapsed on the floor, but sitting up was useless—her muscles were shaking uncontrollably. She pressed her forehead against the wooden floor of the palace’s training hall. It was hot from the summer heat. Beneath it, she knew the cool dirt was exactly two feet and eight inches away, which wasn’t close enough to lend her any comfort.

She heard the floorboards creak as her teacher circled her. His voice was deep and steady, but she could hear the irritation sneaking under his usual good-humored tone. “You’re holding back.”

“I’m…not. I’m giving…everything.”

He said nothing, and she could just picture the look on his face. He would be disappointed. She didn’t blame him. She was beyond disappointed. She was beyond pathetic.

She could feel the tears building up and spilling over, mixing with her sweat. Damn it. She used to be so proud, so confident. When had she become so weak?

No. She’d always been weak. And hotheaded. And a tomboy. She just couldn’t lie about it anymore.

A sob cut through her chest and she choked on it, saliva and blood and tears dripping to the polished hardwood. Now she was even ruining the floor. They would kick her out of the palace eventually, she was sure. They’d take back the nice clothes and the fancy food and tell her they had wasted it on her. That she wasn’t actually meant to be there. That the Boar spirit had chosen wrong.

“Why are you holding back? Why won’t you let go?” her teacher demanded.

She shouldn’t be here. Someone else should be. Shampoo, maybe, or Ukyo. They wouldn’t be shaking on the floor right now, crying. Ryoga’s natural strength would have him succeeding at this easily. Mousse was somewhere upstairs in a golden robe, learning to control the flames of his ki like it was no problem. Ranma would have stepped in ages ago, eager to learn a new technique and annoyed with how slow Akane was going.

The stupid thing was that she wanted that. She wanted to be rescued. She wanted to feel Ranma’s strong hand pulling her behind him, keeping her safe. She wasn’t good enough to be training here, anyway. She wanted to be told she didn’t have to be putting herself through this.

But she knew the truth. There was nothing to go home to. She missed her family, of course, but she had no plans, no future. All she had was waiting for a boy she wasn’t sure wanted her, being reminded over and over again that everyone was stronger than her and prettier than her and she didn’t have a role to play.

A flash of memory cut through her spiraling, exhausted thoughts, as it had every day for the last three months. The smell of burning wood, the screams of the running villagers, the blood seeping from the head of the farmer’s small daughter and soaking Akane’s skirt. She felt the guilt and the rage at being unable to do anything to help anyone.

Her sobs grew louder, and with what little strength she had she made a fist, hitting it against the floor.

Deep inside, where she imagined her soul to be, she felt the Boar spirit stirring. The familiar sensation of standing beneath rustling trees washed over her, and she thought she felt hot breath on the top of her head, as though the Boar were there, standing at her back as she prepared to charge forward.

Let go. The insecurities. The doubts. Trying to be poised and calm and good at cooking, like everyone told her she should be. Fighting for a love she shouldn’t have to fight for. _Let go._

She pressed her palms against the wood to push herself up, squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her teeth against the blinding pain. Barely in a crouched position, she was rushed by her teacher, his footsteps heavy and vibrating through her sore knees. Beneath her, under the sanded and polished floor, was the earth. It called to her and she pulled, using it to strengthen her bones and bring her arm up. The bone felt like it shattered when she blocked her teacher’s staff, but she held it high anyway.

He grinned. “Good.”

* * *

_9:00 PM_

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Soun demanded.

Ranma exhaled, low and slow. He steeled himself before explaining the situation to everyone at the table again. Soun, Kasumi, and Nabiki listened carefully, and his own father was silent.

“Oh, my,” Kasumi said, a hand to her cheek. “She’ll be all right, won’t she?”

Ranma needed someone to tell _him_ that. But he couldn’t let his worry show, or they would be more nervous. He said, “Of course, she will, are you kidding me? This is Akane we’re talking about. Cologne will figure out how to find her, and then she’ll be home tomorrow, dragging Mousse behind her.”

“Well, no doubt about that,” Nabiki said, chewing on a cracker. “Honestly, it’s probably a good thing Mousse has someone to look out for him. That idiot is useless.”

“Yeah, good luck to him,” Ranma said. “Hope she doesn’t try to make him dinner. Then he’ll really regret causing this big mess.”

His father, Genma, laughed. “Too true! Soun, your daughter can sure pack a punch!”

Soun laughed back, clapping Genma on the shoulder. “At least it’s not us who are on her bad side!”

“Or her good side!”

The two men laughed harder. Nabiki went back to the television, and Kasumi gathered the teacups from around the table. Ranma clenched his fist before excusing himself silently and leaving the room.

“Don’t be too mad,” Nabiki said, startling Ranma as he headed up the stairs. She was standing in the doorway, a smirk on her face. “They are worried, they’re just stupid.”

“Huh, they could show it a little more,” Ranma said.

“They don’t have to,” she responded. “Because you’re here. A year ago, daddy would be freaking out about this—you know that. But now he knows that Akane will be fine, because you’ll bring her home safe. He trusts you.”

“…Really?”

“Sure.” She raised an eyebrow. “You _will_ bring her home safe, right?”

“Of course,” he said immediately.

“Well, then.” She turned back to the living room. “And maybe try to keep all the idiots in town from being _so_ stupid when they’re around my sister.”

* * *

_Month 8_

“Those selfish idiots!” Akane growled, slamming her fist against the top of the roof. “Why won’t they listen to me?”

Mousse sighed tiredly beside her. “I don’t know. They’re set in their ways. It’s been a hundred years since the last time a new god joined the House, and now they get two in one year. It will probably take time.”

“Yeah, easy for you to say. They listen to you.” Akane pulled her knees up under her chin, trying to do the breathing exercises her teacher, the vessel of the Bear spirit, had taught her. She wasn’t as good as he was at keeping the Zen going, especially during a long meeting with all the gods, who ignored her contributions and barreled ahead with foolish war plans. Now that the meeting was over, Akane could let her shoulders relax.

Neither Akane nor Mousse spoke, staring out at the palace grounds, the village, and the forest. Their mutual annoyance filled the winter night air between them with warmth. Literally. Mousse was still learning to control the Phoenix spirit inside of him, and once in a while some magical fire powers would escape accidentally.

Akane fanned her hand at him when she noticed a bit of smoke coming off the top of his head. “Hey, calm down. We don’t need a repeat of last week.” The tea room in the north wing was still being cleaned out, and Akane didn’t want the roof of her room to turn to ashes the same way.

“Hm? Ack!” Mousse swatted at his long black hair, dispersing the smoke.

The roof was a little far from the ground for Akane’s tastes these days, but she put that out of her mind. The palace could start to feel cramped with all of the gods and their servants and soldiers, not to mention the difficult politics that brought tension to the House. It kept Akane up at night, trying to think of new ways to help, new plans the gods might not have tried. Mousse helped, since as the vessel of the Phoenix spirit he was in the inner circle of gods, one of the four who lead the House. Mousse was respected by the others and a good ally for her, equally as concerned about the war as she was, but they were simply outnumbered.

Akane couldn't give up yet. This was what she was meant for, after all.

“Hey, Akane. You ever think about home?”

She glanced at him. Mousse was staring out at the night, his dark gray eyes serious, the red and gold fabrics of his royal robes dim in the moonlight.

“Sometimes,” she admitted. Quite often, actually. The first few months she had missed her family and simple life terribly, but it had ebbed as she had settled into her place here and begun to care deeply for the people of Taios. In those months, she had spent more time with Mousse than she had ever thought she would, and had learned to read his expressions. He wasn’t thinking about home in general. He was thinking about the girl he had loved and left behind, who still haunted his dreams some nights.

She could understand that.

“It’s funny,” Mousse continued. “All I ever used to think about was beating the hell out of Ranma and getting Shampoo to notice me. And now, when I’ve got the power, when I could really beat him and finally impress her…it’s not what’s going to happen.”

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “I know how you feel.”

He nodded. “I know you do.”

It only hurt when she let it.

* * *

_2:23 AM_

Sitting on the roof wasn’t the same when Akane wasn’t in her room. Sometimes she’d spend the night at a friend’s house or go away for the weekend, but he liked it better when she was there, when her bedroom light was on and there was a chance she might pop her head out and talk to him.

He was bad at taking his own advice; he’d told everyone not to worry, yet he was the one who couldn’t sleep. He sat up, shaking off the early morning chill, and swung off the side of the house toward Akane’s window. It was unlocked, as always, and he had an inkling it was for him. He stepped into the dark room and closed the window, crossing through to the door to head back to his own room. A glance down at Akane’s bed made him stopped.

Man, he was an idiot.

He turned around, arms extended, and let himself fall back. The soft covers caught him with a _puff_ , the lace of the yellow pillows fluffing up around his head. Compared to his futon on the floor, Akane’s bed felt like an impossible cloud. On the desk were her textbooks and notes from friends, and a picture of her family from when her mother was alive. He felt something under his shoulder and pulled it out to see a badly sewn pink pig. He made it clap its hands a few times before he dropped it to the side.

Dang it, why was she so cute? She could drive him really crazy sometimes, but he’d long gotten over pretending she didn’t mean anything to him. He hadn’t gotten around to saying that yet, but he had time. Once they graduated, it’d just be them, training to take over the dojo together, and hopefully she’d really be ok with marrying him. She was the one he could always rely on to be there, the one he stayed awake wondering what it would be like to kiss like crazy and fall asleep with his arms around. In this very bed, in fact.

Groaning, he rubbed his flushed face. How stupid, thinking about stuff like that when he could barely touch her on a normal day. It was like there was an invisible barrier between them, which kept them safely in a friend-zone. If the barrier ever broke, everything would change, but he didn’t know if it would be for better or worse. He was afraid to find out.

He took a deep breath, the smell of her perfume and skin working its way through his muscles. She’d be home tomorrow, he told himself. He closed his eyes, finally relaxed enough to sleep.

* * *

_Month 13_

Akane ran.

Guards passed her in the halls, shouting to each other frantically to secure every corner of the palace. They knew better than to get in her way, though, and quickly moved aside. The warm torchlight cast ominous shadows on the dark wooden walls and bright tapestries. They didn’t feel as cozy to Akane tonight.

She reached the Frog’s chambers quickly, pushing her way past the crying servants at the door. Mousse was already inside, pacing frantically. He stopped when he saw her.

“There you are! What took you so long?” he demanded.

“Sorry,” she said, breathing heavy. “I sent a letter to the others about what happened.”

“We’ll be back before they even receive it.”

“Still. I thought they should know.” She let her eyes trail down to the figure on the ground.

The Frog lay on his bed mat, the bowls and jars of his poultices and potions knocked over and strewn across the room. The smudges of blood on the floor suggested that the Frog hadn’t lain there himself, but had been dragged and left. Sticking from the side of the Frog’s neck were two sharp needles, as long as Akane’s forearm. Blood spilled down his neck and soaked one shoulder of his beige robe. The gray pallor of his skin made Akane’s stomach churn, but she knelt beside him anyway.

His face seemed frozen in a knowing smile, one he liked to give Akane whenever she was frustrated, along with a bad joke and good advice. She felt her eyes prick with tears, but blinked them away. Mousse wouldn’t look at the poor old man. For the last year, the Frog had been Mousse’s teacher, supportive and encouraging. No one would feel guiltier about this than Mousse.

A voice behind Akane made her jump, “Are you ready?”

Mamoko, the Dragon spirit, was standing in the corner, tapping her black and green fan against her chin, her long black hair blending in with the shadows. Her inhumanly beautiful face was blank, as always.

Akane shared a look with Mousse, but the unease either of them should have been feeling about what they were about to do didn’t show. Akane was grateful for that. “Yes,” she said. “We’re ready.”

Sana, the young girl who harbored the Tanuki spirit, approached with a black thread. Her eyes were red from crying, and her streaked brown hair was falling out of its braid, but her hands were steady as she wrapped the thread around Mousse’s wrist, and then Akane’s.

“Remember, they are Honekai demons,” Mamoko said as Sana worked. “Their domain is this world, as well as the other.” Her black eyes flicked to Mousse. “Fly quickly. Your time is limited.”

“I understand,” he said.

Mamoko looked at Akane, who felt the urge to stand straighter, hoping she approved of what she saw. For a moment, she thought Mamoko would ask them if they would come back, or if they would choose to run away to their old world. Instead, the woman said, “You hunt.”

Akane clenched her fist, hard enough that her nails drew blood. It dropped to the floor, mixing with the blood of the man who had been so kind to her. Inside, she could feel the Boar raging, matching her anger. More innocent lives had been taken and Akane wouldn’t stand for it. It was the one thing she was really, truly good for.

She lifted her jaw and replied, “I hunt.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read this far, I thank you already.


	3. Chapter 3

“What exactly am I looking at?” Ranma asked.

Shampoo huffed and then pointed harder. “Is Akane! For real!”

Ranma squinted.

Well, it sort of looked like Akane. But then again, the person was crouched in a pile of dirt in the middle of the park, their clothes dark and dirty, leaves in their hair. Behind them they dragged an unconscious figure, wearing all black with a bald head, their arms and legs bound many times by rope. As Ranma and Shampoo watched from the roof across from the park, the figure spat into the dirt before rubbing their hand in it. A mother and her young child who were passing saw the two persons, stopped, and backed the other way.

“Yeah, no, that’s not Akane,” Ranma said, hoping he didn’t sound too disappointed. “Good try, Shampoo.”

Shampoo shot him a glare. “I not lying! Grandmother tell me to bring Ranma, then I see Akane on way to house! She chasing some strange person. That person.” She pointed at the unconscious, tied up figure. “He scary man with strange face.”

Shampoo had indeed burst into the Tendo house, exclaiming that Akane was back, and Ranma had followed her without question. But all he saw now was a typical Tokyo weirdo, dragging a corpse through a family park first thing in the morning.

Then something shifted from the back of a tree and darted across the street. The crouched person stood quickly, kicking a hefty rock into their palm with a toe. They wound up and hurled the stone like a baseball toward the running man. It landed, smacking the man in the back, and from the speed of it Ranma thought for sure he was a goner. But they stumbled only once before darting down a side street.

_"Stop!”_

Ah, Ranma would recognize that loud, growling voice anywhere. The strange person in the park was definitely Akane. She left the tied-up figure on the ground and dashed after the other man.

Ranma was on his feet and following on the rooftops before he had time to think, Shampoo hot on his heels. Akane was a street over, but he could see her skidding around corners. He felt some inexplicable pieces settling inside of him—she was ok. Dirty and missing her blue uniform, but healthy and chasing weirdos, just like the good ol’ Akane he knew. He breathed a sigh of relief he didn’t care if Shampoo heard.

Akane was steadily keeping pace with the man she was chasing, but Ranma could tell he were more agile, darting side to side in an attempt to lose her. Ranma veered to the left, hopping past two rooftops to cut the man off by landing in the street in front of him. The man wavered, pausing in his hasty retreat.

“Where do you think you’re—what the?” Ranma’s taunt died in his throat when he got a look at the man. He had no face. Sort of. The head melted into the neck like a turtle’s, and small, lidless eyes sat above two slats of a nose. At first it looked like there was no mouth, but then his skin split and revealed a row of sharp teeth. “Yikes, you’re not looking so good, buddy,” Ranma said.

“Aiya, Shampoo tell you,” Shampoo said behind him, making a face. “He scary.”

The man, creature, thing, had already gotten over his initial surprise at their appearance and was speeding toward them. Dressed in black, he was barefoot, with a thick torso and thin, long limbs that carried him directly toward Ranma and Shampoo. Ranma was ready. He swung at him, but quicker than he could have anticipated the man sprung high over their heads, bouncing once before hanging from a lamp post. In his hand was a long silver pipe that he held to his mouth and blew through.

“Get down!”

Ranma was grabbed from behind and shoved to the ground, Shampoo beside him, both of them narrowly avoiding breaking their noses on the concrete. Ranma felt a weight on his back and small knuckles pressed into his shoulder before the faint _whizzing_ of something flying over them. The weight disappeared, and he turned to see Akane sprinting away, one step ahead of the _whizz_ of long, silver darts. The darts sunk into the ground, but the barrage from the man hanging from the lamp post didn’t seem to be slowing.

Instead of getting out of shooting distance, Akane headed straight for the cinderblock wall on their right, pulling a fist back. Her punch went through the stone, and web-like cracks spread loudly in both directions. In less than a few seconds they had traveled the ten yards to the lamp post that rose from the top, and the wall collapsed, shaking the post so violently that the man had to stop firing darts and hold on. He slipped, twisting in midair to catch himself, but Akane was already there, waiting for him. She grabbed two fistfuls of his black clothes and threw him over her shoulder with a shout, slamming his back against the asphalt with a move Ranma had never seen her use before. The guy must have been seriously out of breath, even as he was trying to get up, but Akane lifted a leg high into the air and brought the heel down on his head. A good crack sounded, and then the man just laid there.

Ranma blinked, surprised the fight was over. Since when had Akane gotten so quick? She was still breathing hard when she turned toward him. She looked him over, then said, “Shampoo, come here.”

Shampoo seemed caught off guard, but she obeyed, stopping in front of Akane, who was kneeling beside the fallen man-thing.

“Give me your arm,” Akane said.

Ranma hadn’t noticed, but Shampoo was holding a spot on her upper arm. The fabric was cut perfectly straight, and a small slit on her arm had just started to bleed. Akane took Shampoo’s elbow gently, then reached down to dip two fingers in blood seeping from the man’s head.

“Those blow darts are poisonous,” Akane said. “But luckily, we’ve got the antidote right here. Sorry, it’s kind of gross.” She drew her bloodied fingers across the cut on Shampoo’s arm, whose scrunched nose showed she wasn’t very happy about it. Akane finished, letting Shampoo go and wiping the remaining blood on the front of the man’s black shirt. From around her waist she pulled a brown rope, which she began tying around the man’s arms.

“How’d you know to do that?” Ranma asked. Up close, the creep looked even creepier. “Who the heck is this guy?”

“This little guy is a demon, believe it or not,” Akane replied. She tightened the knot she was making a little too forcefully. “One who hurt my friend. They weren’t easy to catch, but we caught up to them eventually.”

She was being weird. Her tone was calm, as if she hadn’t just cracked open the skull of a freak who was shooting people with poisonous silver needles and wiped the blood on someone’s arm. And she wasn’t looking at him. Why wasn’t she looking at him?

“Akane, what happened? Where have you been all night?” he asked.

“All _night?”_ She let out a short bark of laughter before clamping a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, I just…forgot.” She moved to tie the man’s—the demon’s—feet.

“Forgot what? What happened? Why are you dressed like that?” She was in a dark green shirt with wide sleeves that tapered at the wrist, and black pants with flexible black boots. Everywhere seemed to be a light dusting of dark dirt, including her face and hair. It was very un-Akane. “Where did you go? Hey, Akane, answer me!” He grabbed her wrist, keeping her from completing the knot she was on.

She stopped, looking down at his hand that was holding her, then, finally, she met his eyes. He didn’t expect her to look…surprised? He let go and watched with a frown as she shook it off. Then she asked, “Ranma, will you help me?”

The change threw him, but he hurriedly said, “Yeah, sure. What do you need?”

“Will you watch this guy for me?” She handed him the end of the rope, like some sort of leash. “He’s out cold, but they can be sneaky, so just in case. I’ll be right back.”

“Uh, sure.”

She stood up and jogged back the way they’d come. He watched her go before looking down at their charge.

“So, you think is real demon? Or Akane go crazy since we see her?” Shampoo asked.

“Dunno. He sure is ugly. How’s your arm?”

She shrugged. “It felt very bad, but now, it no hurt.”

They waited another two minutes before Akane was back in sight. Over her shoulder was the other tied-up demon-man. She seemed more relaxed now, waving a hand to the neighbors who were coming out their doors after the loud destruction of their back wall.

“Hey, sorry!” Akane called with a smile. “These spring earthquakes sure are weird, huh?” When she reached Ranma and Shampoo, she dropped the body on top of the other one. The two creatures were completely identical. “Whew!” she said, dusting her hands off. “Glad that’s over.”

“Hey, Akane,” Shampoo said. “Where Mousse? He the one who get hurt by demons?”

“Mousse? No, he’s fine. At least he was when I saw him an hour ago. He had to race after the leader of these ugly freaks, but he should be heading back this way soon.” She looked over her shoulder and right into the sky, shielding her eyes from the sun. “Oh, yep. There he is.”

Ranma and Shampoo followed her gaze. A tiny black blip in the sky was headed toward them. A bird. Ah, it must have been a duck. Ranma couldn’t wait for the moron to land and he could give him a piece of his mind about experimenting with new techniques he had no idea how to control.

As it got closer, it’s shape solidified. Definitely not a duck. It was a huge bird with a five-foot wingspan, carrying a heavy lump beneath it. It flew over them, light flashing on its wings like sunlight, before the lump came crashing to the ground, landing on top of their pile of demon men.

It was another demon, tied and gagged and unconscious. A second later the bird fell, but by the time it was close enough for Ranma to make out what it looked like, it had shifted. A man landed beside them, with bright burnt-orange silk robes and long black hair pulled into a ponytail. It took Ranma half a second, and a quick mental picture of thick round glasses, to recognize Mousse.

“Oh,” Mousse said, pausing mid-step when he saw Ranma and Shampoo. He looked like a deer in the headlights, who was only saved when Akane got his attention.

“Mousse, did you find anything?” Akane asked fervently.

“Oh, uh,” he rustled around inside once of his ridiculously wide sleeves, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Here you go.”

Akane snatched it from his hand and viciously yanked it open, reading the note there. She deflated a minute later. “This is…hardly anything.”

“I know,” Mousse said. “That’s all he was carrying.”

With an angry growl, Akane tore the paper in half. “Stupid, worthless demons!” She stomped her foot on top of the pile of monsters. “The least you could do is leave us something we could use!”

Ranma handed the leash-rope to Shampoo, not that it was necessary since their demon was on the bottom. Then he grabbed Mousse and Akane by the shoulder, making the Chinese boy jump.

“All right, you two are really starting to piss me off,” Ranma said in a low voice. “Where the hell have you been? What’s with the demons? And just what are _you_ wearing?” He turned a narrowed eye on Mousse’s audaciously colored robe. Even the civilians standing behind the broken wall behind them were pointing at Mousse and whispering, wondering if he was someone important.

Mousse gave him a smug smile, folding his hands inside his sleeves. “Like it, Saotome? These are the robes of a _true_ master of martial arts.”

“Oh, really? They look like the robes of an idiot.”

Mousse looked dramatically to the side. “Heh. All this time, and you’re still a jerk, Ranma.”

Ranma’s eye twitched. “All this time? What’s that mean? Just what have you two been up to all night?”

“Well, I’d love to tell you, but we’ve got important—”

Mousse and Ranma stopped when Akane’s hand shot forward and grabbed Mousse’s forearm. She looked up at him with pleading eyes. “Mousse, we’re already here. Are you sure we can’t have a little time?”

Mousse’s face became serious, his dark grey eyes flicking to the demons.

“Please, Mousse?” Akane asked.

Ranma looked back and forth between them. Before yesterday, she’d barely looked at him with any amount of friendly pity and exasperation. Why was she asking _his_ permission for something? Why was she _still_ touching him, the way Ranma had touched her minutes before and which had made her stare at him?

Mousse glanced at Ranma, then Shampoo, before giving up. “Fine.” He pulled his hand out of his sleeve. Tied around his wrist several times was a black thread. “I’ll do my best, but I can only give you a few hours.” Akane nodded, stepping back. Mousse sighed, his head flopping down and his arms hanging. “I guess I’ll go home and formally resign from the tribe. Cologne’s not going to be happy about it, though.”

“Hm?” Shampoo perked up. “Mousse what you mean? Resign from tribe? Stop you kidding.”

Mousse looked at her for a long moment before sighing again and walking down the street. Shampoo called after him, becoming more annoyed when he didn’t even acknowledge her. She chased after him, and a moment later Ranma found himself alone in the street with Akane and a handful of passed-out demons. One of them was starting to snore.

Akane looked back at him. The smile on her face was honest and kind, but the next words out of her mouth terrified him on a level he didn’t quite understand: “Hey, Ranma. It’s been a long time.”

* * *

“What could they possibly be talking about for so long?” Nabiki asked.

“You got me,” Ranma said. He looked toward the dojo for the hundredth time, but the doors were still closed. Akane and Soun had disappeared inside shortly after they had gotten home, which was over an hour ago.

Ranma hadn’t gotten very much out of Akane on their walk home. It hadn’t helped that they’d been carrying three large demon-men between them, but her answers hadn’t been as satisfactory as he’d liked. Apparently, what Mousse had been throwing around the day before was, in fact, a real technique, although since then Mousse wasn’t able to use it so flippantly. Akane and him had disappeared to some weird place, where she’d made some new friends and where time didn’t pass quite the same as here. Her and Mousse had been able to come back by chasing the demons, whom they had been asked to hunt down.

She hadn’t said how long she had been gone, but judging by her hair that needed trimming and the new moves she had been throwing around, it was a while. There must have been more to her story, which she was being infuriatingly vague about it, but even if he didn’t know the whole story yet, he couldn’t help the feelings of relief at knowing she was back home, safe and sound and where she should be. She’d tell him what was up in her own time.

“Think it has anything to do with those guys?” Genma asked, nodding towards the three demons, who Akane had tied to the tree in the yard.

“Probably. Trust Akane to bring home more strays that need looking after,” Nabiki said. She stood up, stretching. “I’m going to go take a nap. Call me if anything interesting happens.”

Ranma returned his attention to the TV, which was playing reruns of a show he’d seen a hundred times. He tried to keep an eye on the dojo door, but he hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep last night. Eventually he passed out, only waking up when Kasumi announced lunch.

Ranma yawned, and when he saw Soun at the table and Akane’s empty seat he panicked for a second, wondering if the events of that morning had been a dream. Then he saw the demons tied around the tree, one of them with dried red blood on their pale bald head. They had just started eating when Akane came downstairs. Her hair had been brushed and trimmed, and her face and hands were washed and free of dirt. She was still in the worn green shirt and black pants, instead of changing into her usual clothes. She hesitated when she saw that the seat beside Ranma was the only one available, but then sat down and thanked Kasumi for the food.

There was light chatter around the table, everyone happy that Akane was back, mentioning that the weather was getting warm and wouldn’t it be nice to go on a trip when the kids had finished school, and wow, Kasumi’s cooking was great.

“So, what’s with the get up, Akane?” Nabiki asked. “I thought they were Chinese, but they’re kind of weird, aren’t they?”

“Oh, um, they are Chinese,” Akane said. “They’re just a little…out of style.”

Soun, who had been unusually quiet during the meal, set his teacup down. “Akane has something to share with everyone. Akane?”

Akane froze, her chopsticks halfway to her mouth. She set her bowl down and cleared her throat. “I’ve decided to do some training on my own. I’ll be moving out for a while.”

Ranma turned to her, but she didn’t look at him.

“Oh, yeah? Where at?” Nabiki asked.

“Back to China. When Mousse and I fell through that portal yesterday, we ended up in a great little village. It’s exactly the sort of place I had been hoping to go, and there’s an amazing teacher there, too! There are kind people and beautiful forests…it’s not perfect—they have some problems, so I want to help with that, and Mousse will be there, too. I really feel at home there.”

“How nice,” Kasumi said. “When will you be going?”

“Today,” Akane said. “Mousse and I have to return those men we caught. They’re pesky forest demons we helped the locals get rid of.”

“Demons, huh,” Genma said, nodding to himself. “Yes, there’s no telling what the ancient forests of China still hold.”

“Say, Akane,” Nabiki said. “What about school? You’re graduating in a month, you know.”

“I was hoping you could help me with that, Nabiki. If I remember right, my grades are good enough that even if I don’t take the final exams I should scrape by. Just tell them I got a job in China or something and that they should send my final grades here.”

“You sure, sis? You worked hard for those grades.”

“I’m sure.” Akane paused. “The truth is, I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. I feel like I need to go someplace where I’m really needed, where I can help people. It may seem sudden, but this is what I really want. I talked to dad about it, and he’s agreed to support my decision.”

Everyone turned to Soun. His arms were crossed and his eyes were closed. “Akane has decided to carve a path for herself. I must trust that her training will help her succeed; I can only be proud she has chosen to carry on the noble practice of a martial artist to protect the lives of the innocent.”

Ranma was thinking it long before Nabiki said it: “Hold on. You’re making it sound like you’ll be gone a long time.”

Akane nodded. “I will be. It’s a very remote village, so I won’t be able to visit often, and they don’t have any modern technology so I can’t call, either. Mousse’s getting better at the art of _menhu touzhi_ , an ancient technique that lets him jump from one place to another, but it’s difficult to use, so I can only come back once in a while. I’m sorry, this is so sudden. I…I’ll miss you all, but I think it was going to happen eventually. I was always going to grow up and…be meant to do this.”

The room was silent. Akane didn’t seem like she knew whether she should be smiling at them assuredly, or staring at the leftover rice in her bowl. Her hands were folded in her lap, and it took everything for Ranma not to reach out and take one, forcing her to look at him and explain all of these crazy, insane thoughts she’d been having. He knew something had been up with her recently—every time their friends had gotten on the topic of graduation and future plans, she’d gotten distant. He’d decided not to bother her about it, that she’d tell him when she was ready. That was what they did, right? They talked to each other, sometimes even when they couldn’t talk to anyone else. At least, that’s what Ranma had thought.

“Well, if you really feel like it’s what’s best for you, Akane,” Kasumi said, placing a gentle hand on her youngest sister’s shoulder. “So long as you visit once in a while and always remember this is your home.”

Akane smiled at her, and her voice sounded thick with emotion. “Thank you, Kasumi. I will.”

“Ditto, little, sis,” Nabiki said. “If anyone was meant to be roughing it in the wilds of China, it was probably you.”

Akane snorted but smiled at her anyway.

“Well, it won’t be the same around here without you,” Genma said, “but I suppose you kids have grown up. It’s about time you two carry on the school’s legacy on your own.”

Oh. Was Ranma meant to go along? Is that what was going on? He supposed it had been a long time since he’d been to China—not since they’d destroyed Jusenkyo. He wouldn’t mind going back for some training, too.

Akane jumped. “No, Ranma’s not coming with me.”

So much for that plan, Ranma thought.

“Eh? But it’s only right your fiancé comes along to look after you. You can’t expect to leave him here for such an unknown amount of time?” Genma looked to Soun for support, but the Tendo patriarch was silent.

“I’m sorry,” Akane said. “But I can’t be a part of your and dad’s old plans. Ranma _should_ be the heir of the Anything Goes School—he’s the only one who can do it—but it can’t be by marrying me. It wouldn’t be fair to him to force him to wait when I don’t know if I’ll ever…when I’ll be back. So, I suggested he be adopted into the family.”

Ranma’s mouth fell open. A lively outcry went around the table.

“What? Take my only son from me? Over my dead body!” Genma said, pounding a fist on the table.

“Akane, you can’t be serious,” Nabiki said. “You’re breaking it off with Ranma? For real this time?”

“Oh my,” Kasumi said. “Does this mean we’ll have a brother? I suppose I don’t mind so long as I don’t have to marry him. He’s too young for me.”

“This is ridiculous! Who will be the heir of the Saotome School of Martial Arts? Tendo, you can’t allow this to happen! What about our sworn oaths? What about the Anything Goes School?” Genma demanded.

Soun finally opened his eyes. “Ranma would be a surrogate son to the Tendo household. By accepting such an arrangement, the Tendo and Saotome bloodlines will become one in the same, meaning Ranma would be the sole heir to the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. It wouldn’t matter who he married—the school as we know it would continue on with a master martial artist at its head. Your son in blood, and mine in name.”

“Well, I—oh.” Genma looked ready to protest before suddenly putting a finger to his chin. “I see. Yes, I suppose that would work.”

“What!” Nabiki exclaimed. “Are you kidding me? The solution would have been that easy this whole time? What about the family honor and future grandchildren from both sides and all that junk?”

“Come on, Nabiki,” Akane said. “Haven’t we been through enough because all of this engagement business? Ranma’s free now to pick one of his other fiancés, or whoever he wants, without worrying about dishonoring our parents.”

“If you say so,” Nabiki said. Then Ranma felt every eye but Akane’s turn on him. They expected him to say something. What, he wasn’t sure. Currently, he was trying to figure out what sort of elaborate prank this was. Maybe he was trapped in one of Ryoga’s fantasies. Maybe he’d actually been poisoned by Kodachi and any second she’d burst through the door in a wedding dress and carry him away.

Kasumi clapped her hands together. “You must be excited, Akane. Should I pack some food for you to take on your trip back?”

“That would be great, Kasumi,” Akane said. She reached behind her and pulled out a stack of envelopes. “Nabiki, I wrote some notes to my friends explaining where I’m going. Would you mind delivering them for me?”

“Sure. And because it’s a special occasion, I’ll only charge you fifty yen each.”

Akane glared at her. “You can have whatever money I left in my desk upstairs.”

“Deal.”

Akane shuffled through the envelopes, and Ranma noticed a photograph among them. The picture of her family when her mother was alive. She’d taken it out of the picture frame on her desk. She slipped the photo into her shirt before placing a letter on the table in front of him.

“This one’s to your mom, Ranma,” she said, looking him in the eyes with an easy smile. “Would you do me a favor and take it to her when you have the chance?”

Ranma looked down at it. On the front was his mother’s name, in Akane’s familiar handwriting. He carefully picked it up, like it might blow away if he wasn’t careful. Then he tore it in half.

“Ranma!” Akane gasped. “What are you doing?”

“What am I doing? What are _you_ doing?” He smacked a fist on the table, knocking his empty cup over and facing her more fully. “What the hell is this half-brained plan of yours to run away? What exactly are you trying to prove?”

“Half-brained—! I thought long and hard about this, I’ll have you know!” She snapped, all of her attention finally on him.

“Like hell! You’re disappearing to a tiny forest village with no running water and no telephones, to what, prove how tough you are? What’s the point of that?”

“The point is I’m living my life! Not that a freeloader like you knows what that looks like.”

“Right, sure, and you’re living your life with Mousse in some romantic forest hovel, while the cows go out to pasture and the demons harass everyone. Some protector you are, letting them get all the way to Japan.”

Ranma was vaguely aware of the rest of the family quietly standing from their seats and sneaking out of the room, sliding the doors shut behind them, but he was focused on Akane.

“This has nothing to do with you!” she shouted.

“It does so have to do with me!” he retorted. “Who’s the one being passed around against his will and getting the whole dojo dumped on him just so you can do whatever you want, huh?”

“I thought that’s what you’d want!”

“Well, you never asked, didja?”

“You stupid jerk! I don’t see you for a year, then this is the treatment I get? This is my last day here, the least you could do is be a decent human being for once in your whole _life!”_ She slammed her knuckles into the table top, making the wood _crunch_ and bend in half. The left-behind dishes all slid to the middle.

“Did…did you say a year?” Ranma asked.

She pulled back, her scowl positively animalistic. It may have just been the light, but her eyes looked watery. “Yes, Ranma, a _year_. Not that it matters, since nothing changed here.”

“What? How? Why?”

“I told you earlier, didn’t I? Time moved different for us.” She stood up, walking off the edge of the porch and standing in the yard in her bare feet. She took several deep breaths; merely being outside seemed to calm her down.

“Why didn’t you tell the others?” he asked, all of his anger blowing away with the breeze. It was hard to stay mad when he was watching her walk away from him. He stood up and followed.

“I didn’t want to worry them. Dad would have just felt worse if he knew I’d been stuck there for so long. It doesn’t matter, anyway.”

“Doesn’t matter? Akane, that’s…you…” She was older than him. If she was gone for a full year, then instead of being four months younger than him, she was now eight months older. A lot could happen in a year. Suddenly, he saw the curve of her shoulders and sharper tone of her muscles and the small nicks out of her clothing from some fight he wasn’t there to protect her from. “Akane, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I couldn’t get there—we were trying to figure it out, but we didn’t know what the hell Mousse had done. If I’d been faster and stopped Mousse, this wouldn’t have happened and you wouldn’t have had to—”

“Ranma, it’s fine. Really. It’s not your fault. It’s not Mousse’s fault, either.” Her back was to him, and her hair rustled in the wind. “Some things were just meant to be.”

There was more she wasn’t saying. He could sense it. But her tone was so content and peaceful, he wasn’t sure how to get it out of her.

“Come here!” she said suddenly, crouching down beside the pond. “I’ll show you something.”

He crouched across from her and watched her place a pinch of dirt on the surface of the flattest stepping stone that led to the house. Putting her fingers to her mouth, she took a small ball of spit and rubbed it into the dirt.

“Very cute,” he said.

“Shut up.”

A small film of mud, only about as wide as a coin, sat on the stone. With a finger, she used the mud like paint to draw a character he didn’t recognize. “It’s a spell for protection,” she explained. “It calls the earth spirits to guard the land and the house. You just have to put a little bit of your ki into it, and voila.”

That was new, too. What else had she learned? What else had she seen?

“You weren’t really in China, were you?” he asked.

“Uh. No. It was someplace...different. We’re friends, right, Ranma?”

“Huh?”

“You’ll take good care of my family while I’m gone, won’t you?”

His eyes snapped up to hers, but she wasn’t looking. “You’re not serious about leaving. You’ve been gone a while, but that’s not a problem. We’ll figure it out, like we always do.”

She was breaking little blades of grass and putting them in a circle around the muddy symbol. “I meant it when I said the people there needed me, and I realize now that it’s where I’m supposed to be. I don’t know if you can understand as my friend, but as a martial artist you know what it means to be sworn to defend those who need you, no matter the cost. And, well…” She stood, dusting her hands off on her pants, and he followed. “I had been wondering what to do about my future anyway, and I found my answer. It’s what I want to do.”

His heart had started beating faster, and something in his stomach wasn’t settling well with him.

She continued, “At the risk of making your head grow any bigger, I admit that you’re probably the best martial artist I know. I’m glad it’s you who is carrying on the Anything Goes name. Just do me a favor and marry a nice girl, ok? If she’s going to be our sister-in-law, no hussies or idiots, no matter how good of a cook they are. Ranma, are you listening to me?”

Everything had started to feel like it was further away. Like there was a long tunnel he was sinking further and further into, the entrance always out of reach. Then the softest touch ground it all to a halt, snapping the world into focus again. Akane was looking up at him, her eyebrows drawn together. She had reached forward and gently wrapped her fingers around his. She was holding his hand. Ranma could swear he heard the distant sound of something shattering. So simple; she had crashed right through the invisible barrier between them, the way he had always been afraid to. Of course, it had to be now, as she was so kindly explaining that she was leaving him.

“Thanks, Ranma,” she said with a smile. A smile that was far too easy for his liking. “I’m glad I met you. I…you were… _important_ to me.”

What?

“Take care of yourself, ok?” She stepped back, but before she could get too far, Ranma gripped tighter to her hand, holding it close to him.

She tensed up, her eyes going wide, but he was on a mission. He had every time they’d ever laughed, every time they’d ever fought, every time she had ever brushed her hair from her eyes and smiled running through his head. There was no point in staying here if she wasn’t here, and if he let her go who knew how much time would pass in that weird place. Ten years? Thirty? Would she be dead before he even got to see her again?

He had to do whatever it took to make her stay. “Akane, this is insane. You can’t leave your family. They need you here. You have school, and-and the dojo.”

She was trying to pull away, but he wasn’t letting her. “School is almost over, and _you_ have the dojo. Really, Ranma, stop, it’s fine, it’s what I—”

“You have me.”

“…What?”

“Damn it, Akane, you can’t go. A year might have been enough time for you to stop caring, but it wasn’t a year here! Didn’t you just say I’m important to you? Well, you’re important to me. You’re the one I—” It got caught in his throat, and for half a second he was mentally screaming _what the hell am I doing_. But she was staring up at him with her dark eyes, her pink lips parted incredulously, and then he heard one of the three demons snore and remembered she had just spat in some mud to bless the house while she was gone. “I _do_ want to be a part of your family, but only if you’re there, Akane. And definitely _not_ as your creepy adopted brother. Whatever you want, I’ll do it, if you’ll just _stay._ Please.”

Her mouth was completely gaping open now. “E…excuse me? Are you saying that you have _feelings_ for me?”

Oh, hell. Oh, _hell_. He felt like he was going to be sick. But what was he supposed to do? This wasn’t something he could punch his way out of. He was completely untrained for this situation. What did you do when the girl you cared about came back older and smarter and stronger, when she was already way smarter than you in the first place, and told you she’d rather not see you again?

Welp. He guessed you confessed your feelings in a last, pathetic, desperate, ditch attempt at making her feel pity so she’d decide to stay with you.

He couldn’t say anything, so he just haltingly nodded, his face burning.

And then several things happened at once.

Akane’s face contorted into a scowl and she growled, “I can’t _believe_ this!”

Ryoga, who had walked around the side of the house with Ukyo five seconds before, pointed and shouted, “Ranma, what the hell! How dare you not tell me that Akane came back? And now I find you like _this_ , taking advantage of her in her delicate condition!”

Mouse landed beside the pond, looking pale and tired, and saying, “Akane, I’m sorry, but we have to go. I can’t hold out much longer!” He threw a hand in the air and sent a streak of red fire spinning out. It stopped over the pond, spreading out and revealed a circle with strange shadows among the flames. He was walking toward the demons under the tree when Shampoo appeared, throwing a kick at him that he barely dodged.

“Mousse, you don’t run when we speaking to you! Only coward run! Only coward desert tribe!” Shampoo accented each furious phrase with another jab at Mousse. She was in full form, the stones by the pond cracking from the force of her swings.

“Ranma, you idiot!” Akane jerked her hand out of his, grabbing him by the front of the shirt. “Do you know how many years I pined away, waiting for you to say anything half as good as that, and finally when I’ve found something to make me feel like I’m not wasting my life, you have to go and ruin it! You jerk!”

“Jerk? I’m telling you I _like_ you, and you’re telling me off and ditching me for some fantasy land! How am _I_ the jerk?” Ranma complained.

“You said _what,_ Ranma?” Ryoga gasped, coming across the grass. “You…you bast—” He was cut off when Mousse stumbled into him while trying to avoid Shampoo. Ryoga grabbed Mousse by the collar, shaking the exhausted boy like a rag. “Mousse, this is all your fault! What have you done, huh? What did you do to Akane? Why is there another one of those stupid fire things here?”

“Enough, pig boy,” Shampoo barked. “This between members of Amazon tribe. You can no interfere!” She stopped and turned when Ukyo groaned loudly.

“Shampoo, not everything is about you,” Ukyo said dryly. “Can’t you see the poor guy is a mess already?”

Mousse was struggling to his feet, orange robe flopping. “A-Akane…we have to…we have to go…”

“What you saying?” Shampoo snapped at Ukyo.

“You heard me.”

Shampoo lunged, but Ukyo was ready for her. Ryoga was charging Ranma, but he tripped on Mousse, who was holding onto his leg while trying to get up. The Tendos and Genma had appeared on the porch again, watching the goings-on with interest.

“Why couldn’t you have said that a year ago?” Akane snapped, shaking Ranma by the front of the shirt. “Or _yesterday,_ for that matter?”

“Well, I said it now, ok?” Ranma snapped back. “I can’t go back in time!”

Cologne hopped into the yard on her walking stick. Here narrow eyes flicked from Mousse to Akane, to the floating fire ball over the pond water. “Ranma, you best let them go. They’re not human as we know them to be anymore—they’re beyond our world now.”

Ranma wasn’t listening. He was saying, “Besides, what’s it matter—you said you were pining for me to tell you something all _gooey_ anyway. I think maybe you like me _back!_ ”

“Of course, I liked you!” Akane said, shaking him harder. “But now I can’t even—”

And Ukyo and Shampoo got tangled together while trying to maul each other’s faces, then fell into Ryoga, who slammed into Mousse, who had just grabbed hold of Akane. All six went sprawling backward, but for once they didn’t land in the pond. They fell straight through Mousse’s floating portal.

The fire and shouting vanished without a trace. The yard was peaceful. The Honekai demons snored and drooled, oblivious to what had just happened. Cologne and the Tendos looked on with wide eyes.

“Oh, my,” Kasumi said. “Does this mean I don’t have to cook as much dinner tonight?”

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

Akane quickly scrambled out from beneath the pile of bodies, accidentally stepping on Shampoo’s hair and kneeing Ryoga in the side on the way. She fell on her butt a few feet away and watched with wide eyes as the group of youths groaned and sat up, looking at the surrounding trees.

“No, no, no,” she muttered to herself, “this can’t be happening.” She whipped her head around for the fiery red _touzhi_ portal, but it was long gone. She jumped up and yanked Mousse out from the pile, knocking Shampoo and Ranma back. He was unconscious, and she quickly laid him down on the ground, putting a hand out to feel for a pulse. He was alive, but his spirit was drained and weak. Even in his sleep, his eyebrows knit together and his teeth clenched in pain.

He was still in training, but he had used the _menhu touzhi_ several times in the last day while they had hunted the Honekai demons, who jumped easily through shadows from one world to the next. His burning desire for revenge for the Frog had pushed him, and she had been amazed at the power that seemed to have come from nowhere. Then she had stupidly begged for more time in Japan. They hadn’t needed it. She could have come some other time when Mousse was stronger and broken the news to her family. But she had been selfish, and seeing Ranma had sent a flood of nostalgia through her that she hadn’t been able to control.

Now they were in this mess, and Mousse wasn’t awake to help her figure out what to do about it.

“You idiots!” she snapped. “What were you thinking?”

“Sorry, Akane,” Ryoga said, rubbing his head. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she said, rougher than was probably necessary.

“So, what happened? Where are we?” Ukyo asked, craning her neck to look up at the distant blue sky, nearly blocked by the trees. “Definitely not Tokyo anymore.”

“These tree trunks are massive. This forest must be ancient,” Ryoga added. “But how did we get here?”

Shampoo crossed her arms, not seeming to care that they had all been transported to the middle of nowhere. She had an ugly scowl on her pretty face, glaring down at Mousse so fiercely Akane thought he might catch fire. Not that it would have been the first time for him.

Akane glanced at Ranma. He had gotten up silently, dusting himself off and scanning the forest around them. He listened to Ryoga and Ukyo with an unreadable expression, but when he felt Akane’s eyes he looked directly at her.

 _I’m telling you I_ like _you!_

Nope.

She wasn’t thinking about that now.

A faint howl between the trees caught everyone’s attention, quickening Akane’s blood.

“Um, those wouldn’t be wolves, right?” Ukyo asked hesitantly.

Akane yanked the boots off her feet and quickly ran a few steps away. Hand on a tree trunk and feet in a patch of dirt and moss, she listened. Her soul felt like it was breathing deep breaths now that it was back in Taios. She felt the breeze whispering in the leaves and the skittering of tiny animals in the earth beneath her. The Boar spirit stirred, his contentment mixing with hers, his eagerness to run making her heart hammer.

It was distant, but she felt the careful steps of the swift pack of wolves, running to the west of her. Rozeki’s wolves. The vessel of the Wolf spirit was back in the Gousenki forest. Did that mean he and the others had received Akane’s letter about the Frog’s assassination? Time ran strangely between worlds. How many days had it been? Had more people died while she was gone?

She looked down at her wrist. The black threads were still there, but they had become dry and cracked. Hopefully Sana’s magic had worked the way it was supposed to, tying them to the day they had left so Taios’s time wouldn’t go on too far without them.

She needed to get back to the palace to see what was happening, but right now, she wasn’t even sure where she was. Turning around, she ran back the other way, passing between Shampoo and Ukyo. Ryoga called after her, but she simply ran a few yards to the creek she could feel digging a deeper rut into the ground. Splashing into the water, she dug her fingers past the river stones to the soft soil beneath and lifted a handful of mud. It was brown, with a reddish tint. She took a pinch and placed it on her tongue. Traces of iron, with mountain moss and broken fishbone.

“Whatch’a doing there, Akane?” Ukyo called down to her from the top of the river’s bank. All four of them were standing there, staring down at her.

“Just checking something.” The river had carried the soil far—nearly fifty miles from the base of the mountain. The mountains were to the east of her. She needed to go southwest. Akane spat the mud out and waded back to land.

“What’s the matter, Akane? Are you sure you’re ok?” Ryoga asked. She could hear the concern thick in his voice as they followed her back to where Mousse lay. Her wet feet and soaked pants picked up dirt and small pieces of dried leaves, but she didn’t care. She had bigger things to worry about.

“What’s with Mousse?” Ukyo asked, toeing the boy’s side. “He’s not dead, is he?”

“Who care? Is better fate for him,” Shampoo said darkly.

Akane resisted the urge to smack her. Really, to smack all of them. But as annoyed as she was, she couldn’t leave them here. They were her friends, and a small painful ache in her chest came from missing them. Missing him.

“Alright, listen to me,” she started, and all of their attention went directly to her. She hoped they could hear the seriousness and concern in her voice. “This is Taios. It’s a world connected to the ancient spirits of Earth. The only way back to Earth is through one of Mousse’s _touzhi_ —those fire portals—but right now he’s completely drained. He’ll need a few days, hopefully not long, to replenish his ki before he can take you home.”

They looked around at each other.

“Akane, you plan on stay in strange place by self?” Shampoo asked.

“Well, that’s insane,” Ryoga immediately jumped in. “Didn’t you hear those wolves? It could be dangerous.”

“Yeah, Akane, who knows where we are? It’s not safe to just decide to go off on your own,” Ukyo said.

Ryoga was shaking his head. “There’s no way we’re leaving you here. Right, Ranma?”

Before Ranma could answer, Akane laid a hand on Ryoga’s arm, stopping him. “Ryoga, it’s all right. Thank you for being worried about me, but I’ll be safe here. Those wolves are on my side—it’s a long story, but you have to trust me. For now, I’ll take you all with me, but people from Earth aren’t supposed to be here. Mousse and I will get in trouble if anyone finds out we brought you back, so please, _please_ don’t do anything stupid to draw attention to yourselves.” She gave them each a stern look, ending on Ranma. She narrowed her eyes just for good measure.

Ranma raised his eyebrows and put up his hands innocently. “What are you looking at me for? I won’t cause any trouble.”

Like hell, he wouldn’t. He’d already caused her more than enough trouble today, and she could feel the effects of it sneaking through her blood from her beating heart, making her cheeks feel warmer than they should. That idiot. For months, she had planned what she would say and do when she had the chance to go home again. It had been painful, facing her father’s distress and then the rest of the family’s confusion, but she had never been so confident about what she was doing in her whole life. This was her destiny, and her family would be just fine—she was leaving them in good hands.

Hands that had held hers shortly after, strength and heat being pressed into her until her fingers ached and she was torn apart from the inside with the desire to fling herself into his arms. His stupid, fierce expression had been devastating and beautiful and had ruined everything.

She hadn’t anticipated that. She had thought that her decision to remain in Taios would come as a shock to him, might hurt him a little since they were friends with potential for more, but she had been pretty certain that he would get over her without much difficulty. Possibly even relieved to not deal with his most troublesome fiancé anymore. That was the reaction she had prepared for, coming to terms with it months ago until she was content with thinking of him fondly and hoping he would be happy. Never in a million years had she expected him to admit to deeper feelings and plead for her to stay, standing closer than she thought he ever would again.

She bit down on the low growl in her throat. She really, _really_ wanted to break something.

Bending down, she lifted Mousse and threw him over her shoulder. “Stay close; there’s much worse than wolves in this world, and souls from earth don’t have a place here. So whatever you do, just don’t die while you’re here.”

* * *

She moved different. He hadn’t noticed it earlier—he hadn’t been looking for it earlier. But running through the trees, even with Mousse on her back, her footsteps were steady and sure, as though without looking she knew exactly where her feet were going. She ran different than the rest of them; she had never been as light-footed as he was or any of the other martial artists who were better than her. That was still true, but now it was like her heavy foot-falls were all on purpose, and somehow, she was still keeping ahead of them without Ranma having to hold back and go slower. Even being barefoot, dirt caking to her wet pants, she moved effortlessly.

He knew he was staring. Thank goodness Ukyo and Shampoo weren’t paying attention, distracted by their surroundings. Ryoga seemed to have also noticed that Akane was moving different. He looked worried, and he didn’t even know everything that Ranma knew yet.

And there was obviously more she hadn’t said. Running around eating mud and listening to wolves and sharing ominous warnings about death were something she certainly hadn’t mentioned yet, and Mousse’s weird powers were another thing entirely. Just what was this place, Taios? And what did it want with Akane?

He had the vague memory of Cologne shouting something a little while ago— _they’re beyond our world now_ —but he couldn’t be entirely sure. All he knew was that Akane wasn’t getting rid of him that easily.

For now, all he could do was stare at her back and wonder what she was thinking.

Another, closer howl made Ranma tense. Ah, there—the beasts were moving through the underbrush a few yards away. Flashes of red eyes glinted in the lowlight and a low growl floated toward them.

“Hmph!” Shampoo breathed out. “What they want? Shampoo not scared of them.”

“They’re scouting the forest for enemies. Don’t look like you want a fight, or they’ll give you one,” Akane said over her shoulder. Then she raised her voice loud, “They’re with me! Tell Rozeki we’ll be home soon!” The wolves sped off soundlessly, barely rustling the leaves as they went.

“Friends of yours?” Ranma asked.

“Ha! Not really,” Akane said, a small smile on her face since the first time they had arrived. It didn’t escape his notice that it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “They won’t hurt you, so long as you stay on their good side.”

It was another twenty minutes before Ranma caught a glimpse of something beyond the trees. A huge wall, perhaps five stories high and made of hefty timbers with slatted windows for archers. Small figures that Ranma assumed were guards walked along the top, and above them he could see the edges of high, red-tiled roofs. In the walls facing them were two massive iron doors, painted red and black.

Well, this certainly wasn’t the quaint Chinese village Akane had led her family to believe she was returning to.

Akane slowed down, gesturing for them to do the same. She passed Mousse to Ryoga before saying, “Remember, don’t tell anyone where you’re really from. Wait here.” Then she strolled out from the cover of trees toward the fortress.

Ranma resisted slapping himself in the face and was about to yell at her to be careful before she was shot, but a guard atop the red doors shouted out, “Hail! Friend or foe?”

Akane raised a hand. “Peace to the House a thousand years! I am a friend. I return with Lord Phoenix.”

Ranma could see the bulky guard, decked out in armor with several different types of weapons strapped to him, leaning down to get a better look at Akane. Then he suddenly straightened, calling out, “Open the eastern gate! It’s Lady Boar! Open the gates, you imbeciles!”

Guards scrambled back and forth, and after a second of rattling chains, the doors began to swing open with a loud creak. Akane waved for them to follow. On the other side of the wall was a different world. The wild and monstrously huge trees of the woods gave way to carefully cultivated grass and flowers and gold and stone statues of various animals. In front of them was a group of buildings made of polished wood and sloping roofs, rising higher the further back they went. The palace didn’t rise too high, but it was spread out, and Ranma suspected the total area inside of the surrounding wall was the size of a small town. Guards lined the walkway to the building, their spears held erect, their eyes carefully trained on the strangers who had just entered the compound.

“Ok,” Ukyo said quietly, eyeing the old-fashioned and odd armor of the guards, “now I really have some questions. Are we sure this is _our_ Akane? It wouldn’t be the first time an imposter of someone showed up to trick us.”

“Yeah, of course it’s our Akane,” Ryoga responded with a scoff, but he didn’t sound totally sure. “Right, Ranma?”

Well, it was Akane, all right, but he didn’t feel like explaining how she might not be quite the way Ryoga remembered her. She wasn’t even the same age anymore. And currently there was a handful of people running along the porch that circled the whole palace, calling out to her with a lot of “My Ladies!”

“My Lady, you’ve returned!” said the elderly woman at the front of the group. She held her green robes up to run faster, revealing her knobby knees and white socks. She screeched to a halt, the people behind her knocking into her and more than one of them falling off the porch onto the grass.

“Palma,” Akane greeted anxiously. “How long has it been since I left?”

“Not yet three days. Lord Phoenix!” the woman gasped dramatically. “What has happened? Was it the demons?”

Akane relaxed. “No, Mousse is fine, just tired. He needs to go to his rooms.”

Palma snapped her fingers at a few people, who stumbled forward to kneel beside Mousse. Ranma frowned as they reverently inched their fingers beneath the unconscious boy’s fine silk robes, lifting him gently and shuffling away.

“Where they take that stupid Mousse?” Shampoo asked, her irritation still evident.

Palm gasped again, a hand flying to her chest and an elbow landing in the gut of a man behind her. “You! How dare you speak of my Lord Phoenix by his first name? What manner of evil are you, girl?”

The old woman leaned forward into Shampoo’s face, looking like she would take on any intruder before the guards could even help. Shampoo only stared back with wide eyes, completely taken aback.

Akane put a hand on Shampoo’s shoulder. “It’s alright, Palma. She just doesn’t know the rest of us aren’t as forgiving as our good Lord.”

Akane smiled, but Ranma saw Shampoo flinch. Akane had pressed her fingers into Shampoo’s shoulder hard. Was it a warning to keep a low profile? Or was Akane annoyed for Mousse’s sake? Ranma’s eyes lingered on Akane as she let go and stepped onto the polished wood porch with her muddy feet.

She said, “Palma, these are refugees from one of the far northern villages. They’re staying temporarily while Mousse recuperates, then he’ll make sure they, uh…find someplace safe to go. Can you look out for them until then?”

Palma clapped her hands together. “Oh, our sweet masters, rescuing poor souls from the dastardly hands of the monster Matsumoto! Of course, I’ll look after them. My, such attractive youths! Who knew the far north had such beauty; easier to find them some place if they’re not bad to look at.”

Akane snorted. “Careful. They’re more trouble than they look.”

A bellow suddenly came from around the corner, “Akane! You’ve returned!” Ranma jumped when the largest man he had ever seen barreled toward Akane. His thick hair was pulled in a high bun, his brown beard was fading gray in some areas, and his biceps were as thick as Ranma’s head. If Ranma had been standing beside him, he would have been a head and shoulders taller at least. The servants hurried out of his way, a few more falling onto the grass before he was crushing Akane to the fur vest he wore.

She coughed when he let her go. “Kuma! I’m so glad you’re back. I saw Rozeki’s wolves and hoped you were home, too.”

Kuma nodded, his voice deep and loud and cheerful, “I received your letter and turned back as soon as I could. And Phoenix?”

“Safe but tired. They just took him up to rest.”

Kuma nodded, the laugh lines by his eyes suddenly serious. “The demons?”

“Hunted them for two days. We intercepted their message to Matsumoto, but then… they were left behind,” Akane said, looking embarrassed. Oh yeah, that’s right. Ranma had almost forgotten about the demon men entirely. Welp, he hoped the Tendos were taking care of that situation for the time being. Kasumi was probably making them tea.

“Mm.” Kuma’s smile didn’t return, but he patted Akane’s shoulder. “Come. The others haven’t all returned, but I would like to hear the report from you first.” He said to Palma, “My good woman, I am stealing your mistress away.”

The woman bowed. “Very good, Lord Bear. I am glad of your safe return, my Lady.”

Ranma looked between Akane and the man. She was looking at him the same familiar, comfortable way she had been looking at Mousse earlier. Ranma’s fingers curled into fists as it hit him—yesterday she had been looking at him like that. And somehow in one night she had lived a year, _a whole year_ , without him. Evidently a messed up one, since she had come out of it deciding to leave everyone she cared about behind.

“See, I told you,” Ukyo was saying quietly to Ryoga. “It’s not our Akane. They’ve mixed her up with some princess or something.”

“No way,” Ryoga insisted, but he was looking at Akane like he wasn’t sure what he was seeing. “It’s her. Right?”

“Too hard to see truth under so much mud,” Shampoo added.

Palma rounded on them, making them all jump. “You should be so lucky as to be touched by any clump of dirt that has graced my Lady’s little toe! A princess, indeed. Ha! Do they teach you nothing in those mountain villages? Do you not recognize a god when you see one?”

A silent beat passed. Akane tucked a hair behind her ear, avoiding looking at any of them.

“Come again?” Ryoga said.

“It sounded like she said…” Ukyo trailed off.

Ranma raised his hand, drawing Palma’s attention. “Sorry, I think I must have hallucinated for a second. Can you say that again?”

Palma _hmphed_. “I see what you mean about trouble, my Lady. Attractive they may be, but bright they are not.” She addressed Ranma louder and slower, “My Lady is a god of the House of Taios, and you would do well to remember to treat her accordingly. Now, follow me! Don’t walk on the terrace—your shoes may be dirty.”

Palma turned, pinching a stunned Ryoga’s strong arm in admiration before dragging him away. The other servants waved Ukyo and Shampoo ahead, _tsking_ at their strange outfits and cooing over their pretty hair. Ranma didn’t pay them any attention. He couldn’t look away from Akane. There was no way that old woman was being serious. Things couldn’t have changed _that_ much overnight. Right? She looked so small standing on the stoop of such a rich castle, her feet dirty and her hair windswept, but she didn’t seem uncomfortable or out of place. It was a confidence that quietly flexed in every newly-toned muscle he could see. And probably the ones he couldn’t.

The big man, Kuma, headed inside, but Akane was watching the others get carried away. Until her eyes slowly slid down to Ranma’s. She searched his face, like she was looking for something. Ever since he’d known her she’d been looking at him like that, but he never knew what she wanted. She took a breath as though to say something, and he stepped toward her.

Palma called for Ranma to follow the rest of the group, and Akane glanced at her before looking back at Ranma. Then she turned and disappeared behind a sliding door.

Ranma blinked. Not cause any trouble? Like hell, he wouldn’t. Whoever these people were, they didn’t need Akane. They’d be fine on their own—they’d have to be, because he wasn’t leaving here without her.

* * *

Akane wished they would do this without her. She had more on her mind than watching new soldiers tryout for a place in the gods’ armies. The men and women came from all over Taios, some strong and skilled already, who would easily secure positions as captains and lieutenants. Most came from villages already destroyed in the war, their faces gaunt from lack of food and eyes glazed by the horrors they had already seen. They were unskilled, but they looked desperate and furious, eager for their revenge. If they failed the evaluations for a ranking, they’d probably be just as happy standing with the other volunteers on the front lines.

Seeing them arrive made Akane wince. So much pain was in their faces. She could only pray that the hope they gained from seeing the inside of the palace walls and the powerful gods strutting past would give them enough strength to survive.

Her teacher, Kuma, felt the same, although he was better at not showing it. “Three hundred come to fight for a chance to lead in our armies. And how many recruits are in Gousenki City outside the palace?” he asked the captain beside them.

“Three thousand, my Lord, but more arrive each day,” the captain replied.

“How many do you expect by the end of the week?”

“Our scouts say ten thousand if we’re lucky.”

Kuma nodded, and Akane knew what he was thinking without asking. Ten thousand wasn’t enough. Not when Matsumoto’s armies were growing every day, creating soldiers from clay and mud and trapped souls. Their only saving grace was that Matsumoto’s main fortresses had been dealt a terrible blow two nights ago by Asamaru, the vessel of the Lion spirit, and one of the High Gods from the House. It would take a few weeks for Matsumoto to recuperate from such a battle, but the gods would be hard pressed to be ready by then.

“Most of these are normal people,” Akane said quietly to Kuma when the captain was busy. “The volunteers outside will be even worse off. They’ll just be fodder if we send them into battle. What is Rozeki thinking?”

“They know what they’re signing up for,” Kuma replied, although he didn’t look as though he liked it.

“Indeed,” a voice said from behind them. “Sometimes to spill blood you must be willing to shed it.”

Akane didn’t turn to greet the man. “These are farmers, Rozeki, not warriors.”

Rozeki sat beside her beneath the shade, facing the wide dirt field that made the training grounds. It was filling up with small groups of men and women, who spoke to each other in quiet tones and glanced toward the gods sitting on the porch.

“Warriors would do us a disservice,” Rozeki said. His handsome face was twisted by his cunning grey eyes and the smirk that revealed sharp fangs. He wore light silver armor, engraved with wolves’ heads. “We need moldable, obedient minds, and the element of surprise.”

“We _need_ a better plan,” Akane ground back.

“Oh, such as yours and the fowl’s idea to strike at the heart of their armies? Assassinate Matsumoto in his plushy tent, frightening their armies away, all without losing the life of one innocent soldier? Might I remind you that Matsumoto dug out a thousand demon souls from the mountain, souls that took centuries for the gods to seal away, and ate them for power? Not even I would have done that. Of course, that was long before your time. What you don’t know, doesn’t bother you, does it?” Rozeki reached over and touched Akane’s hair. She smacked his hand away, but he only looked amused.

“Matsumoto sent assassins into our home and _murdered_ the Frog,” Akane said, not trying very hard to hide her anger. “He snuck right under our noses without anyone noticing. He was sending a message of what he can do, and sending a bunch of amateurs to die in our place isn’t going to cut it!”

“Have you wondered why it was the Frog who was killed? The Frog commanded no great armies, or even left the palace, for that matter. Why not kill you in your sleep? Or better yet, why not take out the two High Gods at home, the Phoenix and Dragon?”

It was beyond infuriating that Akane hadn’t paused to think about this yet. This was exactly what she was annoyed about in the first place—she had too much on her mind, stretching her in directions that kept her from focusing on what she needed to.

“Hm, I didn’t think so,” Rozeki said when she stayed silent. She resisted the urge to punch him in front of everyone. Kuma would disapprove, and the people watching didn’t need to know there was discord amongst the gods. “He eats demon souls to try and prove he is our equal, and he creates armies using clay at a desperate rate. Don’t be fooled, little Boar. Matsumoto was indeed trying to send a message of what he can do, but unfortunately for him, all it says is that he is afraid of the gods.” Rozeki’s smirk widened.

Akane shared a look with Kuma. He didn’t provide an argument. In fact, he looked more confident as he watched the guards prepare a ring for the evaluations. Akane wished she felt the same.

She stood from her place, mentioning offhandedly that she’d be back when she had to be. She wanted some rest before then to clear her mind. Maybe if she was sneaky, she could go for a quick run in the forest before she needed to be back. But, well, she wasn’t that good at being sneaky. Her room would have to do.

Sadly, her room wasn’t empty. Her room was wide and square, the size of her family’s dojo, and made of dark wood. A bed large enough for five people sat against one wall, a large bath sat in the ground in the center of the room, and each wall hanging and polished statue held the earthy tones her position was known for. Kneeling at the table to one side was Palma, and across from her were two beautiful girls, one with dark purple hair, and the other with fiery red hair.

Akane froze in the doorway, but Palma clapped her hands and said, “Ah, my Lady! You’re just in time to meet the new servant girls I’ve hired!”

“Excuse me?” Akane deadpanned.

Palma came over and took Akane’s hand gently, guiding her to the table. Akane knelt across from them all, staring at Ranma, whose insipid smile was plastered on her face. She and Shampoo were wearing dark green kimonos, identical to Palma’s, the livery of the Boar’s servants.

Palma said, “You of course know Miss Shampoo, whom you so graciously brought home with you yesterday. She and the others have asked to be allowed to stay and repay their debt to you and Lord Phoenix by serving you here! The others will serve Lord Phoenix in his chambers, but she volunteered to serve you."

Shampoo volunteering to serve Akane? Not very likely. She probably was just pissed at Mousse still and wanted to get away from him.

Palma gestured to Ranma. “And this young lady has come from a distant village, and she says it’s her fondest dream to serve one of the great Ladies of the House.”

“Tee hee!” Ranma said, her hands under her chin. “It’s such an honor to meet one of the great gods!”

“I bet it is,” Akane replied flatly. “Palma, I don’t need more servants. I’m happy with just you.”

Palma flushed, waving her hand at her face. “Oh, my Lady, you honor me! But the truth is that I’m beginning to reach my old age, and one day I won’t be here to assist you! It is my duty to prepare replacements who can continue on in my stead in caring for you.”

Shampoo was twisting her teacup in her hands, bored, but Ranma was listening raptly to Palma, nodding over and over. Palma turned to her, putting her hands on her shoulders.

“Dear girl, you understand, don’t you?” Palma asked Ranma, a tear in her eye. “You understand the noble weight a servant in the gods’ House carries, you understand the great privilege it is to serve such a strong and proud mistress!”

“Oh, yes!” Ranma proclaimed, a hand to her cheek. “Simply being able to handle the dirty, smelly laundry of such a person is a blessing.”

“You’re staying far away from my laundry,” Akane said. “In fact, you’re staying far away from here. Palma, I’m pretty sure you’re strong enough to live a hundred years. You’ve got plenty of time to find a replacement, you don’t have to hire the first idiot who volunteers.”

“Idiot?” Ranma complained.

Akane carefully lifted the full teacup that Palma had set in front of her. “I’m just saying, maybe we shouldn’t rush into anything. People aren’t always what they seem—oops!”

Her “accidental” toss of hot tea in Ranma’s face was completely thwarted when Ranma’s hand shot out lightning fast, twisting Akane’s hand so the teacup ended upside down on the tabletop, the liquid leaking out.

“Careful there, _my Lady_. Wouldn’t want to burn someone,” Ranma said through a clenched-tooth smile.

“Oh, no, I certainly wouldn’t,” Akane replied with the same expression and tone.

Palma nodded and smiled, practically sobbing. “Just as I thought, you get along already! These two girls will be excellent company for you, my Lady.” The woman evidently didn’t notice that Akane and Ranma were still silently struggling for control of the teacup, which cracked under the pressure. Shampoo was inspecting her nails.

Finally, Akane let go and Ranma fell back, juggling the cup before catching it. Akane folded her arms, mind spinning. She should have expected Ranma to pull something obnoxious like this. On the one hand, the idea of Shampoo and Ranma poking around in her room was terrible. She had avoided them since yesterday, but even now she could feel Ranma’s eyes on her, making her squirm. She needed him out, girl or no. On the other hand, if she fought Palma anymore, the woman might get ideas, and Akane didn’t want anyone looking into her friends and finding out there was something wrong about them. She just needed a little while longer for Mousse to recover, and then they could send them home safely and Akane could focus on armies and demons again.

“This is temporary,” Akane said quickly. “I agree to a few days, but I'm not promising anything else. Alright?”

Palma blinked in surprise at Akane’s tone, then nodded. “Of course, my Lady.”

“I said, _alright?_ ” Akane said again, even more forcefully. Shampoo was looking at her now with a pinched look, and nodded once. Ranma’s face had gone hard and unreadable again. Finally, she nodded, never once relieving Akane from the piercing blue of her eyes. _Why are you doing this to me?_ Akane wanted to demand. But Palma would hear the crack in her voice, and Akane didn’t know if she was strong enough for Ranma’s answer, anyway, whatever it may be.

 _I told you I_ like _you!_

Akane sighed, suddenly exhausted. “Fine. Do you mind leaving? I’m going to lie down.”

Palma jumped. “Oh! Certainly not, my Lady. Shall I send for some food as well?”

“No.” She was painfully aware of Ranma’s gaze following her as she left the table and headed for the bed, but she simply fell face first into the silky golden sheets. She couldn’t look at Ranma again. She was confused enough as it was, and her fingers still tingled from where she had grabbed her hand minutes ago.

She could hear their badly hushed conversation as the three women left.

“Is Akane sick?” Shampoo asked.

“Hush, girl! What have I told you about referring to the gods by their names? She is Lady Boar, to you. And no; our Lady merely has many things on her mind. She is a great fighter, you know, and she and our Lords are preparing the armies to defeat that no-good Matsumoto from the northern lands.”

“I heard about that,” Ranma said sweetly. “The guards told me yesterday that there are a lot of people coming to join the fight. How scary!”

“Don’t be frightened, girl. The gods have destroyed much worse than this petty tyrant! Now, can either of you sew?”

At last, the voices faded, and Akane was left in the silent, dim lighting of her room. She couldn’t relax, though. She should have tried going to the forest after all. An hour and a half later of wasted time staring at the ceiling, Akane got up. She sighed, rolling her shoulders out as she headed back to the soldier’s barracks and training grounds.

The sounds of fighting drifted to her as she passed. So, the tryouts were already under way. Good; as much as she was dreading lording over the commoners while they fought the palace guards to prove themselves, she thought it would be a welcome distraction now. Maybe she could volunteer to fight some of them. That might help her stop thinking about troublesome, no longer buried feelings.

She paused when she saw a tall man had joined Kuma and Rozeki and couldn’t help the relieved smile on her face at seeing her friend. Mousse still looked tired, but his long haired was combed back into a sleek ponytail, and his fiery red robes would impress the new recruits. She hurried closer, ready to call out to him, when he looked back at her with wary eyes.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“We might have trouble,” Mousse said back quietly.

Before she could ask what he meant, she heard the crowd around them gasp. A second later, a large man in armor went flying over their heads, landing in the grass a few yards away, unconscious. Kuma roared with laughter and Rozeki said, “Finally, some real talent.”

Akane followed Mousse’s gaze, past the crowd that murmured to each other, to the center of the pale dirt ring. Her heart stopped. A few soldiers looked at each other, not sure how to proceed, and in front of them was Ranma, fully male and wearing his old red shirt. He cracked his knuckles in his fist, a haughty smirk on his face, “Ok, who’s next?”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the trouble child.


	5. Chapter 5

“I’m not going!” Ranma insisted.

“You don’t have a choice!” Akane grunted, pulling on Ranma’s ankles.

Akane was stronger now, and it took all of Ranma’s concentration to keep hold of the doorframe, her fingernails digging into the wood and leaving grooves. They were in the fancy upper rooms of the western tower, where Mousse lived. As soon as the sun had set, Ranma had left the soldiers' barracks and turned into a girl to sneak inside the palace. But once she’d reached Mousse’s chambers, Akane had been lying in wait. Now she was trying to wrestle them all into the _touzhi_ portal she had forced Mousse to conjure.

Ryoga was nearby, trying to calm Akane down but careful not to get too close while she was raging. “Akane, Ranma’s right. We’re not just leaving you here while you’re in trouble,” Ryoga said.

“Who says I’m in trouble? You guys are the trouble! Go home!” She yanked on Ranma again, who lost her grip and sent them both sprawling to the woven carpet laid on the wood floor. Akane hurriedly got up and grabbed her, but Ranma scrambled to latch onto Ryoga’s leg. Ryoga in turn grabbed onto the doorframe Ranma had just left. Akane pulled so hard that Ranma and Ryoga were both lifted off the ground.

“Stop fighting me!” Akane yelled.

“Yeah, right!” Ranma shouted back. “Maybe if you stop acting stupid!”

“No, _you_ stop acting stupid!”

Ukyo stood to the side, dressed like a man in the dark red and gold clothes that matched Ryoga’s. The uniforms of those who served the Phoenix, which Palma had hired the two "young men" to do. Ukyo looked between Ranma’s struggle and Mousse's, who had Shampoo full on screaming at him in Chinese while he tried to avoid her, keeping his concentration on the _touzhi_ portal floating in the center of the room.

“You don’t belong here!” Akane said. “You can’t just barge in, cause problems, and expect us to allow it! Right, Mousse?”

“Uh, r-right,” Mousse said, before flinching under Shampoo’s icy glare.

Shampoo turned on her heel, marching to wrap her arms around the suspended Ranma. “If Mousse and Akane want live life together in stupid country, is fine. We go home, yes, Ranma?”

Ranma tried to resist, but her hands and feet were preoccupied. Shampoo yanked Ranma from the train, sending Akane and Ryoga slamming to the floor.

“Shampoo, we don’t have time for this!” Akane complained, hopping up and facing the Amazon woman, who was still dressed in the green outfit of Akane’s servants. Shampoo glared back, looking ready to fight anyone at the moment.

“Hey, Akane,” Ukyo said.

“What?” Akane snapped.

“Looks like you have visitors.” Ukyo pointed to the portal.

Akane whipped around, just in time to see the figure of the tiny old man, Happosai, standing in front of the portal, looking around in awe.

“Well, looky here. Is this where you were spirited off to, Akane?” Happosai asked. Behind him, Soun and Genma poked their heads through the portal.

“Master, did you find Akane and Ranma? Oh, there they are!” Soun smiled.

Akane shrieked, making everyone flinch. Then she grabbed Happosai and hurled him directly at Soun and Genma, knocking all three men back through the portal. She turned on Ranma, who prepared for another fight, when the portal sputtered and went out.

“No! Mousse! Give me another portal!” Akane demanded.

“But Akaneee, I don’t know if I caaan,” Mousse whined, drooping over a fancy daybed with gold feathers engraved in the sides. “I’m still not back to normal. We should have waited another day.”

“We don’t have time to wait! Look at these idiots!” Akane gestured to the rest of them, all decked out in green and red servant garb. “They’re worming their way into the palace like they’re planning to stay! And _this_ moron,” she pointed violently at Ranma, “just joined the royal army!”

Ranma scowled at Akane’s accusatory finger. Ryoga grumbled, “You bastard, joining all by yourself. I want to fight for Akane, too.”

“No!” Akane snapped, turning her heat on Ryoga. “You are forbidden to join! If you do, I’ll never forgive you!”

“O-ok,” Ryoga quickly complied.

Akane turned back to Mousse, who was struggling to kneel at the table. “Mousse, you’ve still got energy. We need another portal!”

Mousse sighed, long and heavy. “There’s no point, Akane. You can’t fight them all without drawing attention from someone in the palace, and you can’t protect them if they don’t want you to.”

Akane gaped at him, then Ranma. Ranma looked away. The second he’d decided to do what he did he knew Akane would be furious. This was her own fault. If she’d just talked to him instead of avoiding him since they’d shown up yesterday he wouldn’t have had to figure out multiple ways of getting her attention. When he’d discovered these gods were partial to martial artists and were holding some kind of open auditions, well, that was just serendipitous. The servant thing wasn’t as ideal, but it at least guaranteed she’d be nearby. This was a strange world, and he didn’t know what kind of dangers might be lurking around her. Being a girl was also more convenient for sleeping—as a guy, he was supposed to be in the barracks with the other new recruits at night. But as a girl, he could sleep with his friends in Mousse’s fancy servant quarters, which were empty since Mousse didn’t keep any servants.

Of course, Ranma wouldn’t have had to do any of this if Akane would just cooperate. What was going on in her head? Gone a year fighting gods and demons, then she shows up and holds his hand and smiles so cute he can’t think straight. Next, she’s ignoring him like he’s chopped liver who didn’t just confess to having feelings for her and wasn’t agonizing over that fact all night long, sweating as he wondered what he had done.

“So, what, are you just going to let them stay?” Akane asked.

Mousse folded his arms. “I don’t want them here anymore than you do, but we have more important things to worry about. Besides, they’ll be good if they want to live."

“Oh, yeah? You think _you_ can take us all on?” Ranma snorted at Mousse’s worn face. He could barely stand up; there was no way he could take on Ranma.

“Not me. The other gods. They’re not exactly fond of people from other worlds. If they find out where you’re from, they won’t be very kind. And if Akane hasn’t told you already, the magic of this world is strange. Outside souls don’t have a place here, so if you die your soul will wander for the rest of time, never able to move on like it should. As you can imagine, it’s not exactly a pleasant experience.”

After a moment of silence, Ranma said, “Geeze. The hell kind of a world is this?”

“Why would you come back to such a terrible place?” Ryoga asked.

“Oh, no, Akane and I are different,” Mousse said, pushing a finger on his nose as though forgetting he wasn’t wearing glasses. “Our souls are, uh, not alone, I guess you could say. We are allowed to be here.”

Akane plopped down at the table beside him, arms crossed. Slowly, the rest of the group joined, kneeling on the red velvet cushions.

“What do you mean ‘not alone’?” Shampoo asked, sitting on the other side of the table.

“He means those strange spirits that all the gods have,” Ukyo said, putting her chin in her hands. “Big animals or something. They were talking about it in the kitchens when we ate dinner last night.”

“Yeah, so you got some birdbrain inside of you and Akane has some pig,” Ranma said.

“ _Boar_ ,” Akane corrected.

“Same thing,” Ranma said.

“It is _not_ —” Akane’s anger was checked when Mousse gently pushed her fist back from breaking the table. She still looked mad but Mousse gave her a nod that seemed to calm her. The small exchange effectively pissed Ranma off.

“Well, if the gods don’t like people from other worlds, then why are you two here? Wasn’t it an accident that Mousse and you got knocked through one of those fiery rings?” Ryoga asked.

Akane shook her head. “That part may have been an accident, but we both would have ended up here eventually, one way or another. We couldn’t have avoided it; we wouldn’t have wanted to, either.”

“Of course not,” Ranma snorted. “Just like you to want to become some all-powerful god. There’s no shortcut to getting stronger, Akane. You should have just stayed home and trained.”

“You idiot, that’s not what I mean!” Akane said. “If you would shut up and just listen to me for five seconds you might actually understand me for once!”

Everyone looked back and forth between them, but Ranma bit her tongue, letting Akane’s glare sizzle on her skin. “Alright. Tell me what you mean.”

Akane blinked, before settling back. “The gods of the House help keep the balance in this world between all the different magical energies. It’s part of our job to help protect the people and the land. Things have been…unbalanced for a while now, and enough people have suffered already. It’s our duty to help fix that. I was serious when I told my dad that there were people I needed to protect as a martial artist. Mousse and I just need to do it here rather than in your world.”

 _Your world,_ she’d said. As if she hadn’t been born there and gone to school there and met Ranma there. “You’re talking about this Matsumoto guy we’ve heard of, right? He’s some kind of monster?” Ranma asked.

“Well, if that’s all it is, we can help with that,” Ryoga said.

“Sure, Akane, we got your back. We’ve handled worse, and Ranma honey can take care of this guy, no problem,” Ukyo said.

“Of course Ranma can! He is no deserting coward!” Shampoo said pointedly. Mousse looked away.

“Haven’t you heard anything we’ve been saying? You’re in danger here! And we don’t need your help!” Akane said.

“Yeah, we heard you, ‘Kane, but it’s not every day you end up in a world with powerful gods and monsters. Seems like a good opportunity to do some real training, don’t you think, Ryoga?” Ranma said.

Ryoga grinned. “Yeah, why not? We can’t rightly leave this world on its own when it’s in trouble, can we? Besides, Akane and Mousse are our friends. What do you think?” He turned to Ukyo.

“Sure. Time moves different, right? So even if we’re here a few weeks, it will only be a few hours back home. Besides, how often do we get to be guests in a royal palace?” Ukyo smiled.

“You’re not guests, you’re supposed to be my servants,” Mousse pointed out.

Akane smacked him on the back of the head. “Stop being so blasé about this!”

“What about you, Shampoo?” Ukyo asked. “You’re always welcome to go home. I can take care of Ranma honey all by myself.”

“Hmph. If Ranma stay, Shampoo stay!”

Akane jumped in, “Absolutely not! Mousse and I don’t have time to babysit you! In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve got more important things going on.”

“Duh, Akane, that’s exactly what we’re talking about. We’ll help you take care of this Matsutoto guy, don’t worry. Then we can go home together,” Ranma said.

“ _Matsumoto._ You’re no match for him, Ranma, trust me. He’s a whole lot stronger than you.”

Ranma _tsked_ , her irritation bubbling up. Why was Akane being so stubborn about this? Why couldn’t she get it through her thick head? “Oh, yeah? You think you’re a match for him, then? Don’t think I haven’t heard that he’s killed one of your supposed gods already.”

Akane and Mousse both stiffened.

“That’s…not the point,” Akane said. Akane was starting to lose her cool again, but it didn’t faze Ranma. Let her be mad. This new confidence of hers had begun pissing Ranma off, anyway.

“Not the _point?_ Those demon guys snuck into a palace of gods and soldiers like it was nothin’ and murdered someone! It could have been _you,_ stupid!” Ranma bit out. Ryoga tensed up, and Ukyo and Shampoo raised their eyebrows.

“It couldn’t have been me! Matsumoto may have gotten his assassins in, but he couldn’t have gone after anyone who would have fought them back. You saw that Mousse and I handled those demons just fine! Going after the Frog was only Matsumoto trying to show off, making us afraid and angry. He made us angry, all right. We’ll make him pay, _without_ your help.”

“Oh, sure, you think _you’ll_ make him pay? And who’s going to protect you when you get way in over your head? _This_ guy?” Ranma shot Mousse a dry look.

“It’s none of your business!” Akane slammed a hand on the table, leaning across the surface to glare Ranma down. “For once can you butt out? Go home! This has nothing to do with you!”

The last of Ranma’s patience vanished. She pounded her own fist on the table, leaning back toward Akane. “Nothing to do with me? It has everything to do with me!”

“This isn’t your fight, Ranma!”

“ _My_ fiancé, _my_ fight!”

Akane froze, and all at once Ranma felt like her own breath was the only sound in the room. Then Akane sat back on her heels.

“We’re not engaged anymore, remember?” she said. “You’re off the hook, Ranma. I don’t need you to save me.”

Ryoga, Ukyo, and Shampoo were looking back and forth between them, but Ranma ignored them. Akane wasn’t making eye contact with her now. Ranma felt as though an invisible dagger had slid between her ribs, digging around for her heart. Akane couldn’t be serious. She couldn’t be.

Mousse’s quiet tone through the tension. “Did you say Matsumoto killed the Frog to show off?”

Akane’s head shot up, eyes trained on Mousse. She pursed her lips before answering, “Rozeki thinks he was trying to send us a message, which is why the House decided to answer by finally attacking him head on.”

Mousse didn’t look quite as tired anymore. “The Frog was a peaceful man. He was a healer. And Matsumoto killed him, what, just to send some stupid power-play message? To _show off?_ ”

“I…yes. I’m sorry.”

Mousse looked down, his hair falling to hide his face. Akane reached a hand for his shoulder, but stopped when she heard Mousse start chuckling. “Heheh, show off. Murdered the Frog in his bed just to show off. Heheheh, that…that bastard!” Was it just Ranma, or could she sense Mousse’s battle aura again? He’d thought it was all dried up right now.

Akane was suddenly on her feet, pushing everyone to get up and move to the far side of the room. Mousse was still ranting at the table, not seeming to have noticed their absence. “He hurt a good man for something as _pathetic as that?_ That coward! He should have faced me like a man! I would have shown him a real fight! I’ll-I’ll kill him. I’ll _kill him!_ ” His aura flared up in orange streaks, surrounding his whole body. It grew steadily, flames licking at the table and the velvet cushions, the air turning dry and hot.

“Mousse!” Akane called. “Not inside!”

Mousse stood, leaving a trail of singed wood on the way to the balcony. As soon as he stepped outside, he let out a furious scream. The fire around him exploded, shooting a pillar toward the night sky and into the room behind him. Akane was standing in front of Ranma with her arms out, but even she had to shield her face from the wave of searing heat that washed over them.

“What the heck is that?” Ranma shouted over the roar of the flame.

“That’s incredible,” Ryoga said, “he turned his battle aura into a real fire! But where did all that power come from? He was practically passing out five minutes ago!”

“Aiya…” Shampoo muttered, the firelight dancing in her wide eyes.

Ranma had seen Mousse lose it before, but this was entirely different. His black hair twisted freely in every direction. The banister and curtains caught fire, and the lacquered wood crackled in the heat. Since Mousse’s chambers were at the top of the western tower, a crazy fire like this would be able to be seen from nearly every corner of the palace.

Abruptly, the fire evaporated, as if it had run out of fuel. Mousse collapsed to his knees.

Akane moved forward but Ranma had an arm around her waist, keeping her close to the group. She turned her eyes on Ranma, so sad and gentle all of a sudden that Ranma could do nothing but let her slip away. Hurrying through the doorway to the next room, Akane returned with a bucket of cool water. Mousse sizzled when she threw it over him, and Ranma and the others gasped when there was no other change. No transformation. No duck. It was only a soaking wet Mousse kneeling there, his shoulders shaking.

“I’ll kill him, Akane,” Mousse said, tears streaking through the water droplets on his cheeks. “I’ll kill him.”

“I know,” Akane said, kneeling beside him and putting an arm around his shoulder. “It’s going to be ok. We won’t let him get away with it, I promise.”

Ryoga, Ukyo, and Shampoo were staring at Mousse with the same open-mouthed expression, their fancy kimonos singed and hair tousled. A thin film of gray smoke drifted out of the room and into the night sky while a drop of sweat slid down Ranma’s cooling skin.

What the hell. What kind of power had that been? Akane had reacted like it was completely normal. And how had Mousse broken his Jusenkyo curse? Mousse, of all people! Now the silly, clumsy, deadly Chinese boy was crying in Akane’s lap while she held him, stroking his hair. She wouldn’t even look at Ranma. The balcony was only a few feet away, but Ranma stood alone, feeling like the girl there was drifting further and further from his reach.

* * *

Akane needed air. The smell of smoke was clinging to her hair and clothes, choking her every time she moved. Her heart was still racing from the constant stress of this day, and she could feel the outdoors calling to her in an alluring voice she couldn’t resist.

The guards and servants of the palace had reacted quickly once they’d seen the pillar of fire exploding from the west tower. Mousse had fallen asleep by the time they got there, but Akane apologized for him half a dozen times. They took it with good humor—it wasn’t the first time Mousse had blown something up, and they didn’t expect his new servants, Ryoga and Ukyo, to know what to do just yet. Akane left Mousse in his huge bed with silky red and gold sheets, thanked the servants again as they hung new drapes, and left without saying goodnight to her bewildered friends. She really, really needed to get outside of these walls.

Everything was calm under the moonlight. The gates were closed, and the guards atop them were silent shadows. The training grounds were empty now, the new soldiers snoring in their barracks before Rozeki got them started early tomorrow. Ranma would be one of them.

Oh, gosh.

Stepping off the porch she walked to the middle of the grass. She wiggled her toes in deep until they touched the soil. The earth inhaled and exhaled with her, heavy and comforting. She reached inward until she found the White Boar. He was there waiting. She imagined his massive hulk beside her, his body heat and sturdy frame supporting her. Funny to think she had been afraid of him that day he’d found her in the woods. It was second nature to have him with her now. She focused on only him, letting go of everything else until her mind was blank and she could soak in his quiet, solid confidence. Newly grounded, she sat down with her arms around her knees.

“If you’ve got any sage advice, I’d gladly take it,” Akane said out loud. The Boar spirit didn’t answer, which he never did, but she did get the feeling he was giving her a sidelong look. She smiled. “No, I thought not. Leaving me to my own devices, as usual.”

So. Things were going…chaotically.

And Mousse, for some bizarre reason, wasn’t as worried about it as she was. His focus was on vengeance for the Frog and on the mounting forces of Matsumoto. She supposed she understood where he was coming from—when he had decided to leave their old world behind, he had really left it. It must be some Amazon way of thinking; she had seen Shampoo use the same black and white decision making a hundred times. He was certain there was nothing for him in their old world, and by the dirty looks Shampoo kept giving him, he might be right. Poor Mousse. He didn’t deserve that kind of treatment from someone who had been so important to him.

Akane wished Ranma was giving her dirty looks. Maybe if he was as angry as Shampoo was, he’d go home, and everyone would follow his lead. Except maybe Ryoga. He was such a loyal friend. Akane was confident she or Mousse could have taken Ryoga if he was on his own. Her skills had improved a lot, thanks to Kuma’s rigorous training, but she wasn’t stupid enough to think she could win against all of her friends at once.

Unfortunately, Ranma wasn’t giving her dirty looks. He was giving her long, sticky, thoughtful looks that made her itchy. Which was why she’d been avoiding him. Why now? Or, had he looked at her like that before? She couldn’t remember. She’d thought any ideas like that had been daydreams and wishes she’d made up while living with him. After months of being here, she had come to think her past had been romanticized.

But…maybe she hadn’t made up everything.

Did it matter?

 _I’m telling you I_ like _you...Just stay. Please._

She couldn’t let it matter.

She pressed her forehead into the tops of her knees, her hot breath blowing back in her face. The spring was still early, and the longer she sat there the colder her toes got. Palma would panic if she came by and Akane wasn’t in her bed.

Standing reluctantly, Akane dusted off her pants and turned back toward the palace. Her heart jumped when she saw someone leaning in the doorway she had left open.

Mamoko looked like a dream and a nightmare, all at once. Her skin was as white as the moonlight, her hair blacker than the darkest shadow. Tonight, her multi-layered silver kimonos had patterns of jade that reflected the torchlight from down the porch like reptile eyes. Akane stood frozen, a dingy forest animal caught in the presence of a majestic being.

She swallowed before finding her voice, “My Lady. I haven’t seen you since I came back. I…” Ooh, she really didn’t want to admit it, but there was no point hiding her failures. Mamoko would know eventually, and if Akane lied now it would just be even more embarrassing. “I hunted down the demons like you asked, but I didn’t bring them back with me. I’m sorry.” She bowed her head, waiting, but as usual Mamoko simply looked back. “I…is there something I can do for you, my Lady?”

Mamoko cocked her head. It was a painfully pregnant pause until she said, “Rozeki plays at war again, I see.”

“Uh…yes! Confronting Matsumoto once and for all may be hard, but in the long run it will protect a lot of people. And the Frog deserves some semblance of being honored, since I, you know…his murderers didn’t exactly make it back. I-I still think we can find them! As soon as Mousse is ready, I’ll go get them! Not that I think he won’t be at rest until then, he never cared for fighting, but, it’s the least I can do, since Rozeki says it wasn’t exactly fair that Matsumoto went after him in the first place when he was too chicken to go after anyone else.” She was rambling. Mamoko didn’t care about any of this. Already she was straightening from the doorframe to leave. Akane’s cheeks pinkened and she prepared to dash to her room.

“Do you agree with Rozeki’s assessment?”

Akane paused. “What?”

Mamoko didn’t look like she would repeat the question.

No, Akane didn’t agree. If Matsumoto was killing gods in their sleep, she couldn’t believe that the Frog would have been his first target. Why him? Why now? Not sure if this wasn't a trick question, she hesitantly shook her head.

Mamoko turned into the dark hall, saying over her shoulder, “You have good instincts. Trust them.” And then the woman was gone.

It was a full minute before Akane relaxed again. Had…had Mamoko just praised her? Mamoko didn’t praise anybody. She didn’t _talk_ to anybody. A childish smile pulled at Akane’s cheeks. Well. Could a god other than Mousse really think she was smart enough to listen to? That she wasn’t new or weak or too soft? And to have it be the Lady Dragon, of all people. Perhaps this war wasn’t hopeless yet.

She was still smiling when she reached her room. A few yards from her door, she saw the figure in the shadow beside it. The dim light barely illuminated enough of the girl’s bright red hair and green kimono for Akane to recognize her.

Ranma remained where she was as Akane approached. When she was close enough, Ranma said quietly, “Palma was worried. I said I’d wait.”

If Palma was really worried, she would have tracked Akane down immediately. Akane nodded anyway. “I just needed some fresh air.” She reached for the door.

“That thing with Mousse earlier,” Ranma started, stopping her. “Does that happen a lot?”

“Not as much anymore. He’s learned to control it when he needs it.”

“The old man who died. He was Mousse’s friend?”

“Yes. He was like family to him.”

Ranma nodded, watching the still shadows on the wall. Akane knew that look. Ranma’s heart was going out to Mousse, no doubt with the intention of coming to the rescue.

Akane had to nip that in the bud real quick. “Mousse gets stronger and stronger every day. He’s a good fighter, and with the other gods’ help, we’ll beat Matsumoto. If you’re wondering about his Jusenkyo curse, it’s not Mousse’s body from before. He’s harboring the Phoenix spirit, remember? His old body burned up when we got here—this one is new, and wasn’t ever touched by water from the Spring of Drowned Duck. Mousse and I looked into a cure for the curse here, thinking we would bring it home to you if we found it. But there isn’t one. Magic here is different.”

“Mmm,” was all Ranma said.

“The others will listen if you tell them to come home with you,” Akane said.

“I’m not going home.”

“It’s not worth staying just to train, Ranma. Trust me. The risks are too great.”

“It’s not about the training.”

“I told you, you don’t owe me anything. I broke off our engagement,” Akane said.

Ranma gave a _tch_ and smile that had absolutely no humor in it. “I know you did.”

Akane watched the outline of Ranma’s profile in the dark. They were nearly the same height when Ranma was a girl. Akane had to admit, his female voice and form made her feel nostalgic. Just like his boy side, his girl side looked exactly the same as Akane remembered—not a day older, like a beautiful painting or a statue that never got older. The only one who had aged was Akane.

She had the urge to reach forward and wrap her arms around Ranma, her chin easily resting on her shoulder. She needed a hug after all the confusing stress of today. Gods didn’t get a lot of hugs. The pull was so strong Akane felt shaken where she stood, as though a small earthquake was happening under her feet; her heart beat slow and heavy to the same enthralling pulse. But she couldn’t touch Ranma, even if this felt like a dream she just hadn’t woken up from yet.

“Go home,” Akane said. She sounded pleading, but she wasn’t sure what for.

“…I can’t.”

 _Don’t ask. You shouldn't ask._ “Why?”

“Because, dummy,” Ranma turned to her, eyes reflecting the smallest sliver of light as they fixed directly on Akane’s. “You’re here.”

Akane’s heart beat hard once, then twice. Then she put a hand gently on Ranma’s shoulder and leaned in, pressing her lips to hers. The kiss was soft and surprised and wholly breathless. The very walls seemed to be holding their breath, carefully cloaking the two in the safety of darkness and silence. Akane pulled away and faced Ranma, who was wide eyed and had yet to breath. Stepping back, Akane reached for her door.

“Go home, Ranma,” was all she could think to say. Then she quietly slipped into her room.

Once inside, Akane’s calm vanished. Blood sped through her veins so fast she was sure Ranma could hear it on the other side of the door. She touched her tingling lips, wondering what she had just done, and sank pathetically to the floor. Tears pricked her eyes, but she wasn’t sure exactly which of her surging emotions they were coming from.

Mamoko was very, very wrong. Akane should not trust her instincts—they were entirely traitorous.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

A thousand miles north of the palace of the gods, past the creaking trees of the Gousenki Forest and over the last peaks of the Bone’s Teeth Mountains, was a deep valley. The rolling meadows had been burned black, and the bubbling creeks carried the ashes away in muddy clumps.

At the base of the mountains, surviving off the flesh of enemy soldiers and the last melting snows of spring, was an army. It crawled over the land like insects, no campfires or tents, their rotting fangs and sharp claws the only things necessary for survival. The heart of the encampment was a cave that opened like a black, gaping maw into the earth, and large oni in bone armor guarded the entrance.

Dim torches that burned a foul-smelling fat lit the way into the cave as Matsumoto followed the worn path. He walked alone—the obnoxious roar of his impatient army faded, leaving only his heavy footsteps to echo around him. His bones and muscles were heavy with the armor he wore, stolen pieces from arrogant lords across Taios. The armor had worn with age, belying his young face, light chestnut hair, and narrow teal eyes.

He passed a chamber to one side that oozed mud and clay into the crooked hallway. Inside were ugly, squat demons with damp skin and long tongues. They mixed saliva and blood and clay into the ambiguous shape of humans. One demon regurgitated a glowing human soul and pushed it into the clay figure. The clay soldiers were practically useless, but they would keep the pathetic human army busy while his stronger demons handled the gods.

A stale chill sat in the air when he reached the end of the cave path. It opened up into a large cavern, fifty feet across and thirty feet high. Torches hung on the walls, illuminating faded paintings of giant animals that devoured demons and brought light to worshipful humans. At the center of the mural was a large woman, with a kimono that transformed into the trees and the earth, a silver dragon wrapped around her shoulders. Deep slashes were cut into the stone walls, distorting the paintings and beheading the noble beasts. Wounds that Matsumoto had made with his own hand decades ago, but even now when he saw the painted creatures he itched to destroy them further. _Patience,_ he told himself for the hundredth time. _Soon the real thing._

The center of the room was a deep pit, created after weeks of digging through solid. A dozen green lizard demons with gangly arms and long pointed faces pushed rubble aside and swung at the bottom with iron picks. One stood at the top, holding a torch and surveying the work.

“And so? Have you done it?” Matsumoto asked him.

The lizard demon’s pointed face split in a grin. “Not ten minutes ago, my lord. It was days before we broke the holy seals, but after that the only obstacle was earthly rock.”

Matsumoto squinted into the squirming mass of demons and dirt at the center of the pit. There—he saw a glimpse of white crystal. The more the demons cleared out of the way, the more it was apparent an entire layer of the translucent white stone lay beneath the cave.

"It's only a matter of days now, my lord." The demon beside him snapped his fingers and a group of workers ran to lift heavy pots of boiling liquid. They ran back single file, taking turns pouring the substance, so green it was black, onto the crystal. The potion sizzled and hissed, sinking into the mineral. The demons ran back to the largest pot, which sat over hot coals while someone stirred.

Matsumoto clenched and unclenched his fingers as an eager flush rose in his cheeks. “And you’re sure this is it? It’s actually under there?”

“Absolutely, my lord.” The demon jerked a thumb toward the paintings on the wall, where the torchlight revealed ancient script etched in black ink between drawings. “That’s what it says here, doesn’t it?”

Matsumoto looked at the foreign symbols, then stomped a foot into the demon’s back, bouncing so his head smacked against the wall several times.

“Ack!—ah, yes—ouch—forgive me—ow—my lord—I forgot you cannot read!”

“Who said I can’t read?” Matsumoto ground out, kicking the demon a few more times. “I just don’t want to. That’s what you’re here for.”

He let the demon slump to the ground and rub his bruised head, ignoring the nervous onlookers who stared with wide eyes. Stopping at the edge of the pit, Matsumoto crossed his arms. The black sludge still ate at the crystal slowly, more being poured on every few minutes.

It had been five days, and the Honekai demons he had sent to the gods’ House hadn’t returned. That didn’t matter. His spy in the palace could see the gods scrambling to amass an army to come against him. Ha. The gods were still fools—too proud to see what had been brewing under their noses for years. The assassins had done their job, and now Matsumoto was free to do as he pleased.

Anticipation surged through him when he saw something beneath the crystal, pulsing in time to his own heartbeat.

* * *

If Ranma had thought it was hard to sleep when Akane had been missing, this was so, so, so much worse. It wasn’t worry keeping him up now, but the fact that every time he closed his eyes he could swear he felt her hands pressing against his shoulders, the flush of hot breath close on his skin, the ghost of her lips finding his in the dark. It wasn’t the first time his thoughts had wandered in such a direction, but now it was fueled by an impossible reality. She had kissed him.

She had _kissed_ him.

Unlike in reality, he imagined grabbing hold of her before she could slip away, safely tucking her in his arms, her heart pounding steadily against his. And then he’d find himself staring wide-eyed at the dark ceiling of the room he shared with his friends, his face hot and his stomach aching that she wasn’t there, knowing any of them would wake up and strangle him if they had any inkling of what was in his head.

* * *

Akane had exposed something she knew she shouldn’t have. She’d carefully hidden it away months ago in a secret place inside of her, refusing to acknowledge it, no matter how tempting. Except in her dreams. When the lights had gone out in the palace and her mind had drifted into a peaceful sleep, she had seen his smile and heard his laugh and remembered what it was like to want to touch him so much it hurt. If that had made it harder to pretend during the day, she hadn't admitted it. Now, that secret place had been pried open violently, and she was forced to face the fact that it didn’t matter how long she had been in Taios—she yearned to be broken into a thousand pieces if it meant just being near him again.

But instead of dreaming of blue eyes and calloused hands, she tossed and turned and dreamt that she lay silently crying, unable to stop a monster from digging her heart out and eating it.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

Akane sighed, slow and long, until it gradually turned into a groan. She hadn’t slept well. She rubbed her chest for the umpteenth time that morning, reassuring herself the skin and bones were intact and the ache she felt from a missing heart was only imaginary.

At least her restless sleep had meant she’d woken up early and been able to disappear from her room before her “new servants” had popped in to bring breakfast and make the bed. She hadn’t been forced to bear being in the same room as Ranma quite yet.

Kuma had been delighted by her early presence in the dojo, and she’d been glad for the distraction. No confusing thoughts to bother her while she dodged her master’s fists that could pulverize her head to dust if she didn’t focus. But then Kuma had excused himself to meet Rozeki and the new recruits for their first day of training, and left Akane to imagine quietly to herself until her cheeks had turned thoroughly pink.

She had wandered the palace gardens for a while, but the earth hadn’t offered her any comfort today. It seemed distant, almost, like it was holding its breath. Flashes of dark caves and a chilling laughter and a sadness in her chest so deep it felt like a gaping hole ran through her mind, despite the sunny spring day. But no matter how tired she was, she didn’t dare lay down and close her eyes again.

She sighed again, even louder.

“You’re making it very difficult to concentrate,” Mousse said from behind her. He was sitting in the center of his chambers, amid a scattered assortment of scrolls and ancient tablets. Akane had found herself in his room a short while ago, which wasn’t uncommon. She had almost forgotten that Ukyo and Ryoga were here working as his servants, but their company wasn’t as unsettling as that of her own servant girls.

She had argued with Mousse privately when she had arrived, but he hadn’t wavered on his opinion that they couldn’t force their friends to go home.

Mousse had said, “In case you forgot, they’ve fought gods and monsters and demons many times. Saving your life, more than once. Their strength could be helpful, and there are legends of other-worlders coming to Taios before.”

“I _know_ that,” Akane had snapped back. “But that doesn’t change the fact that the other gods don’t like people from Earth. They won’t even let us talk about where we’re from, and we’re _gods!_ And what if one of them dies here? Can you really sentence them to an eternity of their souls wandering aimlessly?”

“I’m not sentencing them to anything. We are gods of Taios, Called to protect the land and all of its living things. But we have to think about our priorities—if they choose to stay, we can’t stop them without possibly exposing them, and we have bigger things to worry about right now.”

Sometimes Mousse was incredibly clueless about things, and sometimes he could be so stubborn about being right. It just wasn’t ever the right timing for her to get her way. They had dropped the argument and hadn’t spoken since then, but Akane hadn’t left. Being alone with her thoughts would have been much worse.

Now she stood on the newly installed balcony, leaning over the railing with her chin in her hand. From this height, she could barely see over the palace wall, but the forest in the north and Gousenki City in the southwest seemed quiet.

Ukyo came around the corner with a cleaning rag, stepping carefully over a pile of Mousse’s scrolls. “Is Ryoga not back yet?”

Akane shook her head.

Ukyo huffed. “That idiot, I told him not to go alone. Fine, I’ll go find him. He’s probably lost in the laundry rooms again while your lunches get cold.” She stomped out of the room, and Akane smiled just a little.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised not much has changed with them, but still, it’s kind of nice,” Akane said.

Mousse was pouring over a few scraps of faded parchment, and simply responded, “Mm.”

The scrolls he had were everything the Frog had given him in the last year. If the Frog had known something, then Mousse was convinced that it would be somewhere in those papers. Akane hoped he was right. They didn’t have much to go on otherwise, except Mamoko’s vague encouragement, and they didn’t have time to waste. Akane could feel the need to hurry echoing from chilling, dark caves.

Dreams. But not dreams.

Mousse wasn’t sure they meant anything when she told him about them, but he hadn’t argued with her anxiousness to press forward.

A breeze brushed past her, carrying the distant shouts and clangs of fighting. The training grounds were a few hundred yards away, a wide dirt field full of people sparring and captains observing. Before she realized she was even looking, she had spotted a pigtailed boy among the crowd. He stood nearer the palace, wiping sweat from his forehead, but too far for her to see his face clearly. Knowing Kuma and Rozeki, the training must be hard. Which meant Ranma was probably enjoying himself. That idiot. How dare he have fun while she was stressing out about so many things.

She watched him roll his shoulder out, wearing the same sleeveless cotton shirt all the trainees wore. It looked better on him than anyone else, his bare skin slick with sweat, the fabric tight over his muscles. She pressed her chin deeper into her palm, digging her knuckles into her lips so hard it hurt.

Her breath caught when Ranma suddenly turned his head, looking up toward the balcony. She straightened and backed into the doorway until she was sure she had disappeared in the shadows. She should have kept walking, should have sat and helped Mousse and not worried about it, but she clung to the doorway, peeking around it until Ranma finally looked away and disappeared into the throng of soldiers.

* * *

Stupid pig-god-girl, she was impossible to confront. He thought he might see her during training like he saw some of the other gods, but she never came to watch, and the gods’ training areas were on the other side of the palace. When he arrived in her chambers with Shampoo in the mornings and the evenings, she was either gone or just leaving. Although she did always leave a huge pile of muddy clothes especially for “Ranko” to clean. He could swear, she was dirtying things on purpose, just to keep him busy. After three days of doing laundry and scrubbing floors at Palma’s command, and training from sun up to sun down at the Wolf god’s orders, he was exhausted. And through none of it did he get to see Akane.

Then again, he wouldn’t know what to say to her. Two years they hem and haw over stupid arguments and stupid suitors, and then, _bam_ , she kisses him out of the blue like it’s nothing. What the hell did he say to her? _She_ had kissed _him_ , right? And the fact that he’d been a girl at the time hadn’t even fazed her. He had to cling to that knowledge in the midst of his worries about how she took every opportunity to hide from him.

Oh, hell, he didn’t know what she was thinking. And the whole time he was terrified that absolutely everyone would know exactly what he was trying so hard to keep secret.

“You’re blushing again.”

Ranma clapped his hands to his cheeks, turning to Ryoga, who was looking at him with narrowed eyes.

“Heh? I’m not blushing, who’s blushing, why?” Ranma said.

“That’s what I’m asking,” Ryoga said, narrowing his dark eyes further and leaning toward Ranma. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you acting strange lately, Ranma. So just what happened anyway, hm?”

For such an idiot, Ryoga was annoyingly observant sometimes. “I dunno what you’re talking about. It’s just hot in here, is all,” Ranma said, crossing the room to the window.

The room was long, with a dozen simple beds lining either side, their blankets swirling crimsons and golds, like the rest of the Phoenix’s tower. The four beds closest to the door had been claimed by Ranma and the others, the boys on one side, the girls on the other. Or at least, that was the agreement they had come to after the first night of Shampoo and Ukyo sneaking into his bed before fighting each other, waking everyone, and ending when Mousse had slammed the door open and thrown a basin of cold water on them all.

“You training too hard, Ranma, honey?” Ukyo asked from where she was making her bed, already in a thin yellow sleeping robe. “It wouldn’t do to burn out here, you know. Who knows when we’ll have to do some real fighting.”

“As if I’d burn out. The training’s fine,” Ranma said. And for the most part, it was. His muscles were sore, but even after only three days he could feel the patterns of Rozeki’s techniques and drills sinking into their muscle memory. It helped that he had Ryoga here to practice with. They’d even slid a handful of beds on the far side out of the way for space to spar. Which kept Ryoga and the girls happy to learn some new skills and not feel left out, but mostly it meant Ranma had quickly risen to the very top of the pack. He had the Wolf god’s full attention, and that’s exactly what he had intended.

“So, then, it must be because of what happened with Akane,” Ryoga said. Ranma nearly fell out the open window.

“This has nothing to do with that! Nothing has nothing to do with that!” Ranma insisted frantically.

“Ah-ha!” Ryoga shouted, a finger in his Ranma’s burning face, his pointed canines revealed in a scowl. “I knew something had happened! It’s not right for a guy to be a girl’s personal servant! How dare you take advantage of Akane’s hospitality like that!”

“Shut up, you moron, as if! She’s the one taking advantage of me!” His heart jumped into his throat. “I-I mean as a servant! All I do is laundry, I never even see her. Right, Shampoo?”

“Is true,” Shampoo said, her long purple hair over one shoulder as she brushed through it. “Akane too too busy for old friends. Rolling in mud, like good pig goddess.”

“See?” Ranma shot back.

Ryoga pulled back, crossing his arms. “Tch, well enjoy it while it lasts. When we’re married, you’re gonna be the first thing to go.”

“Excuse me? When you’re ‘married’? In what world, because it wasn’t the last one and it ain’t this one.”

Ryoga shook his head, a pitying smile on his face. “Come on, Ranma, don’t play dumb. I know it’s hard for you, but even you have to admit now that Akane and I are made for each other.”

Ranma snorted. “How’s that, exactly?”

“She’s the Lady Boar, vessel of the ancient spirit of the White Boar. She, only she, could possibly love me for who I am! It is destiny that has brought us to one another! We are one in the same, two powerful wild spirits who have—”

Ranma cut him off by digging his elbow into the top of his head. “That ain’t the same at all, _P-chan_.”

“Besides, isn’t Akane with Mousse now?” Ukyo said.

“Heh?” Ryoga said, shoving Ranma off of him with an elbow in his stomach. “Mousse?”

“Come on, haven’t you noticed how close they are? Seems a year together has made them pretty cozy,” Ukyo’s smile was far too cheeky for Ranma’s liking.

“D-do you think so?” Ryoga said, panic rising in his voice.

“Huh, who care?” Shampoo sniffed, turning her nose in the air.

Ukyo continued, “Sure, why not? He’s not my type, but Mousse is rather handsome, and apparently he’s gotten pretty strong. Not to mention, Akane’s the type who’d prefer someone she knew over any of these drooling guys who obsess over the women gods here. Who knew, though, right? Guess that’s what happens when you get spirited to a magic world with someone.”

Ryoga gasped, grabbing his head with both hands. “Oh no, you’re right! And all this time I thought Akane was just coming to his room during the day to help us go through all those scrolls! But she was coming for Mousse!”

“Calm down, you idiot, as if they got together,” Ranma said. “She ain’t the type to two-time, not when she kiss—” He froze.

“Not when she kiss—?” Ukyo said, raising an eyebrow.

“Not when she kiss…ks ass. Kicks ass! Yeah, she’s too busy worrying about training to bother with Mousse. No matter how many times she gets called ‘My Lady’, she’s still too much of a tomboy for that.” Ranma finished, immensely proud of himself for his clever save.

Ryoga was buying none of it. “Not true at all, Ranma! Akane is a lady, one any guy would take the opportunity to comfort when she was all alone in a new world! Mousse, that-that cad! I bet he uses his so-called godlike powers to keep her here! Or maybe it’s got something to do with those animalistic spirits they have inside of them. She’s forced to act this way! She can’t stand up to such a monstrous sorcerer—”

Ryoga was cut off by Shampoo’s hairbrush hitting him so hard in the face he got knocked to the floor.

“Shut you mouth!” Shampoo growled viciously in their faces, her fists clenched at her sides. “If stupid Mousse and stupid Akane be together in stupid magic world, then is fine with Shampoo!” Ranma and Ukyo looked back at her nervously until she turned her death glare away, stomping to her bed and flopping down on it with her back to them. They were silent until it was apparent she wasn’t getting up again.

“Geeze, what’s with her? You think she’d be happy about this,” Ukyo whispered to Ranma. Then they looked down at Ryoga, who was coming too, a bruise forming on his forehead. “Help me get this big lug in bed, will you?”

They dumped Ryoga in his own bed and dragged the blankets over him before blowing the candles out. As soon as the dark covered them like a heavy, comforting secret, Ranma found himself staring at the ceiling. He wondered if Akane was already asleep. He wondered if she had thought about him at all today. Maybe she had been thinking about Mousse. He knew she was often with the tall Phoenix god—he had seen them from a distance in the palace halls, and his skin had crawled every time they leaned in to speak so no one else would overhear. There was a time when she had spoken like that with Ranma. For him, just a week ago, sitting side by side at the Tendo dinner table. For her, maybe it felt like a lifetime.

Then he remembered her leaning toward him, moonlight from a distant window the only thing outlining her features, her soft lips pressed to his.

It really was warm in here. He glanced at his dozing friends before rolling away from them, just in case.

Mousse really was stronger. Ranma had never seen something as crazy as the night Mousse had exploded into a human fireball. Everyone knew it—Ukyo and Ryoga had a new respect for their “master,” and Shampoo tensed up every time anyone mentioned him. She had accidentally broken two teacups when Palma had offhandedly spoken of “my Lord Phoenix” earlier that day. Ranma had met enough of the gods to know that just beneath the surface of their humanity was some kind of bubbling power he couldn’t see just yet.

And if Matsumoto had managed to kill one of them in the presence of so many others, then he must be someone to be reckoned with.

Ranma had seen the tight security in this palace, guards all over the place with swords and quick fists. Anyone would be intimidated to infiltrate it, and that wasn’t even considering the powerful gods that resided there. Assassins couldn’t just get in. No way. And if it was a truly a random attack, then why had the Frog’s room been completely cleaned out while Mousse and Akane were gone? Ranma had stopped by the old man’s chambers two days ago, only to find the bed made and incense burning, but all the shelves empty of scrolls and potion ingredients. Mousse had the only belongings left of the Frog’s, and he poured over them daily for some hidden knowledge that might make the man a target, but Ranma was convinced it must be simpler than that.

Someone in this palace was a traitor.

* * *

At first, all of Ranma’s money was on Rozeki being the mole. The Wolf god was bloodthirsty and power-happy, and Ranma needed little motive other than that. That was until he’d gotten to know the other gods. Now he was back at square one.

“Do you see that?”

“She moves so quickly. I can barely keep track.”

“He might have met his match this time.”

Ranma snorted, trying to drown out the inane chatter of his audience. As if he’d met his match. He just needed to focus. Or find some way to keep that creepy little girl from moving so fast.

It didn’t help that she could shapeshift in the blink of an eye. He barely sensed the movement behind him in time to dodge the kick of a seven-foot man, dressed in the same rust colored, sleeveless shirt and dark pants he was in. The eyes were the only sign—too round, and pupil-less. An obvious tell that it was the Tanuki god in disguise, but unfortunately, she was fast enough to make it almost impossible to get a good look before she was right in your face.

Ranma dodged her attacks, but was careful not to step too far away—his only hope at striking her back was to keep close. She let a serious of flying punches loose on him, and it took all his effort to make sure none of them landed. Her strength matched her form every time she shapeshifted, which might have thrown off anyone other than Ranma. But what she didn’t know was that Ranma’s greatest strength was endurance.

There. She was getting winded. Her punches slowed, barely a fraction. Big mistake. Ranma slid his foot to the side of hers, restricting her movement and upsetting her balance so that Ranma could reach past her long arms and shove just hard enough to knock her over.

The large man landed with a thud. A second later the form shifted back to the lithe body of the young Tanuki god, her long brown hair braided loosely over one shoulder.

The entirety of the training ground was quiet, starring at Ranma and the girl with gaping mouths. Oops. It probably didn’t look good that he’d just thrown a little girl to the ground.

“Um, sorry,” he took a step forward to help her up, but she turned her pale green eyes up to him, deep and bright beside the dark bags under her eyes and her gaunt cheeks. A shiver traveled up his spine. He jumped when someone started clapping.

“Woo hoo, Ranma! Well done!” Kitsane called, her dimples deep as she smiled at him, clapping enthusiastically. She sat beneath a small shade at the edge of the training grounds, on a velvety cushion with a spread of tea and treats on an elaborate golden tray next to her. Rozeki sat beside her, in full armor and furs, despite the warm day.

The hundred other trainees were stirred from their stupor by the adorable Fox god, and clapped along with her. Sana, the Tanuki god, stood and dusted off her brown dress, embroidered with golden and green leaves. The crowd stepped out of her way, nervous despite the fact she appeared to be the youngest of the gods in the House, perhaps only fourteen. She took up a place beside the shade the other two gods occupied, like a tiny ghost who could curse anyone who might look at her too long.

“Good job, Sana,” Kitsane smiled up at her. “See? I said you didn’t have to go _so_ easy on him.”

What? Had she been going _easy_ on him? She’d been shapeshifting for the last half hour, popping up out of nowhere to deliver a good hit to Ranma when he couldn’t tell where she was coming from, each of her forms stronger than the last. What else could she transform into? A tiger? A demon? She was definitely not like the cute little tanuki statues he saw back in Japan.

Ranma left the circle and headed for the shade as well. No one questioned him—he’d earned a place near the gods over the last few days, and if anyone didn’t like it, they hadn’t been able to beat him to stop him.

Rozeki nodded at Ranma as though he had expected nothing less from his prize pet, a dark amusement in his smirk. Ranma nodded back, standing at his side like the good obedient soldier he was pretending to be.

“Oh, don’t be silly! Come sit by me!” Kitsane said, patting the spot beside her. Rozeki didn’t look like he cared, but before Ranma could refuse, Kitsane had grabbed his arm and pulled him down, looping her arm through his. She tilted her face just a little too close for his liking. “You were wasted in that farming village, you know.”

Ah, right. He’d said he was from a town in Taios so tiny only three families lived there. Which hopefully meant no one would ever be able to confirm is story. “Haha, you think?”

“Definitely.” She squeezed his arm a little tighter, and he was aware more than one jealous gaze was on them.

He had to admit, Kitsane was cute. She seemed more normal than the other gods—curvier than most girls in all the right places, with light brown hair in a curly pigtail, tied with a bright pink bow. Her heart shaped face was always smiling, and there was no doubt she knew the sort of effect she had on men. But it was her eyes that caused Ranma to be reserved. They were never the same color, and sometimes shifted while he was looking at them.

Ranma had met nearly all the gods now. Two of them were apparently gone quite often leading the armies in the north, the Lion, the fourth High god, and the Monkey god. That left only one god in the palace whom Ranma hadn’t met personally. There were rumors about the Dragon—a great beauty, an ancient power, the oldest of the gods—yet she was never seen. Almost never. Ranma had sensed a dark shadow watching through high windows, had caught a glimpse of silver robes gliding around corners. She was a god like the others—what did she have to hide?

Kitsane yawned dramatically. “Rozeki,” she purred, “I’m bored. Can’t we find something more _fun_ to do?” She batted her eyes at the Wolf man suggestively. When he didn’t respond, she frowned, before turning the same look up at Ranma. “What about you?”

“U-uhhh….”

“Why should we be concerned about your boredom? Go fight some demons if you want something to do,” Rozeki said. He gestured for a palace captain to begin organizing another match. Sometimes Rozeki’s training seemed more like entertainment than actual training, but Ranma tried not to look annoyed about it. Ranma could tell the soldiers were actually getting better, even if he didn’t agree with how flashy Rozeki seemed to be.

A sudden rumble low in the earth startled the crowd, as though something massive had just crashed to the ground. Ranma tensed, prepared for some kind of attack, but the booming laughter of Kuma followed a half second later.

The big man was on his back, still laughing, and standing over him was Akane, having evidently just thrown him to the ground. Behind them was a trail of upturned dirt, broken trees, and completely destroyed flower beds. Akane offered a hand to help Kuma up, but he simply grabbed her by the ankle and flipped her on her butt beside him. After a surprised second Akane laughed, too.

“Ah, perfect timing!” Rozeki bellowed, and Akane snapped her head in their direction, eyes wide like a deer in the headlights. Ranma swallowed when her eyes landed on him.

Rozeki was already walking towards them when Akane and Kuma stood up.

“Rozeki!” Kuma said, his loud voice carrying. “How goes the good fight today?”

Rozeki reached them, and the three gods entered a conversation that Ranma couldn’t hear from so far away. Akane crossed her arms and shook her head. Kuma laughed and nodded. Rozeki put an arm around Akane’s waist and lead her back to the group of soldiers, though she was dragging her feet the whole way, Kuma in tow. She didn’t look at Ranma when she passed him, and he did the same.

Ranma heard a few whispers nearby: “The Lady Boar! She’s here!”

“Smaller than I pictured. And dirty.”

“Hush, she is a god. She and the Phoenix came to my village, once. Saved us from a pack of giant insect demons.”

“She might not be as delicate as the other Ladies, but I admit, I like my women rough.” The man’s chuckle was cut off when Ranma flicked one of Kitsane’s teacakes into his mouth so hard he choked.

Rozeki stopped in the circle, his back toward Ranma and his hand far too low on Akane’s hip. Kitsane frowned, letting go of Ranma.

“Well, men! Enough games, chasing the Lady Tanuki around. How about an actual test? A chance for a real fight with a god of the House!” Rozeki said.

The soldiers raised their eyebrows, looking at each other and then Akane. Their surprise turned to excitement, and Ranma saw more than one of them grinning dangerously. None of them were on Ranma’s level, but anyone one of them would be more than a match for Akane. At least, the old Akane. Ranma leaned forward curiously, eyes on Akane’s stiff shoulders.

Rozeki continued, “The Lady Boar is one of the newest members of the House, and the weakest. If you can stand against her, then perhaps you are truly ready to stand beside the gods and protect your country.”

Akane shot Rozeki such a dirty look he might have caught fire on the spot, but he didn’t seem threatened, his sharp grin flashing.

Ranma sat back. The weakest in the House? He supposed that meant she wouldn’t be bursting into flame or shapeshifting. Then what was Rozeki doing, sitting her in the middle of all of these eager-to-impress meat heads who didn’t hesitate to go for the kill shot, woman or god or whatever?

Rozeki sat in his place beneath the shade, ignoring the glare Kuma was giving him. The big man puffed his chest out and said, “Perhaps the Lady Boar against all of your men is unfair odds.”

Rozeki opened his arms. “If you have such little faith in your protégé, do as you see fit.”

Kuma scanned the crowd, presumably looking for a suitable opponent. Ranma didn’t know if he wanted to be the one chosen or not. He was dying to see what Akane had learned. But, then again, could he keep from blushing like an idiot the whole time?

“Very well,” Kuma said. He joined Akane in the circle, putting something into her hand and patting her shoulder before leaving. She seemed surprised at whatever she was holding and turned back to Kuma, but he only winked. She gave him an appreciative smile, then unfolded the object to reveal a long, dark cloth, and lifted it to tie over her eyes.

A murmur went through the onlookers, and Rozeki scowled at the Bear god. “A blindfold? Are you trying to make a fool of yourself, Kuma?”

Kuma crossed his arms. “Now, Rozeki, your men might stand a chance.”

Ranma shifted uncomfortably as Akane sank into a ready stance. No one moved.

“Well?” she said. “Who’s first? Or are you all cowards?”

The soldiers looked at each other. Then one of them stepped forward, lifting a finger to his lips. He moved silently, circling behind Akane, a staff raised in his hand. Ranma tensed, about ready to spring to the rescue, not caring that Kitsane was giving him a strange look. But just as the man swung the staff, Akane side stepped, sticking her foot out and tripping the man to fall on his face.

“That all you got?” she said.

And that did it. The group of fighters sprung to action all at once, some of them charging straight at Akane, others trying a stealthier approach. Not one of them touched her.

It wasn’t her speed—she wasn’t even moving half as fast as Sana had. Her technique was the same, slightly altered style he had seen back on Earth when she had fought those demons. She kept low to the ground, her stance wide and solid. Her attacks were slow but sure, and she seemed to prefer body throws, using her own weight and the weight of her opponents against them. She was better, Ranma easily admitted that. Yet…

Yet there was no reason she should be winning. Against one opponent, perhaps a handful, she should have been fine. But these weren’t the foolish school boys she used to fight off every morning. How was she fending off a group of more than a hundred trained and skilled fighters with techniques like that? _Blindfolded?_ Moving as if she was anticipating every strike before it happened?

She must have some other way of seeing. Perhaps she could sense auras now. Did boars have some kind of sixth sense he wasn’t aware of? Oh, hell. Please, oh please, he prayed she couldn’t read minds. Just to check, he internally screamed about what a huge tomboy she was for a solid thirty seconds, but it didn’t seem to throw her off.

Then it hit him. She hadn’t left the ground.

Her bare feet were covered in dust, completely vulnerable to being stepped on, yet unwavering. She never jumped to attack or defend, and when she moved, one foot was solidly on the ground at all times.

“She’s reading the vibrations. But how?” Ranma muttered.

“Ah, you’ve finally figured it out, have you?” Rozeki said, catching Ranma’s attention. “The Boar god is unusually perceptive to the earth around them. I admit, I’m surprised she’s managed to learn even this much so quickly. Well done, Kuma.”

“Hmph,” Kuma said, but he was clearly hiding a proud smile.

“What’s so impressive about that?” Kitsane said, cocking her head sweetly. “She’s just getting dirty and hitting things. Anyone could do that.”

“Perhaps,” Rozeki admitted, his leer broadening. “But she looks better doing it than most.”

Ranma resisted the urge to throw a teacake at him, too. Maybe Rozeki would let them fight him some day and Ranma would get the chance to punch his teeth in.

A frightened cry drew Ranma’s attention back to the fight.

“It’s a demon! A demon!”

A large creature with a hunched back and black fur crept among the soldiers on all fours. It was as tall as the largest man there, with long claws a four slitted red eyes. How had it gotten past the walls and the guards? Ranma glanced toward Sana, but the girl hadn’t moved, still watching the goings-on with a blank expression. It was a real demon, then. Ranma jumped up, but Rozeki stopped him.

“Let’s see what she’s really learned,” Rozeki said, shooting a look up at Kuma, whose smile had disappeared. Ranma clenched his fist, eyes on the small, blindfolded girl a dozen yards away.

The soldiers leveled their weapons at the beast, but it didn’t look like it had any interest in them. It knocked their attacks aside, circling closer to Akane, who seemed tense now, fists held at the ready. The demon growled, but it echoed, seeming to come from everywhere. Akane turned as if to hear where it was really coming from, and the creature sprung for her.

“Look out, my Lady!” someone shouted, and Akane barely rolled out of the way to avoid being chomped on. The beast slid across the dirt, then suddenly jumped, twenty, thirty feet in the air. Everyone craned their heads to see it, except Akane, who didn’t look so certain anymore.

“Oh, seems like a demon more adapt to the sky than the earth,” Rozeki said casually. “She’s not cut out for that.”

“She trains hard with the Phoenix. She is not as unprepared as you think,” Kuma responded, but Ranma could tell he was focused hard on Akane.

She wasn’t doing well. The demon was quick and careful, leaping through the air and only landing on the ground for a few steps. Akane spun, scowling, trying to sense where it was coming from, but even when it attacked from the ground, it was all she could do to dodge out of the way at the last second.

Ranma couldn’t figure out why they were all just sitting there. Akane was barely holding that thing off, and none of the other men could lay a finger on it.

“Come on, Akane,” he said under his breath, clenching his fists so hard his fingers were going numb. “Hit it, dammit.” It was like she wasn’t even trying. He couldn’t stand it. He moved forward, just as Akane dove to the ground and let out a frustrated growl. She scooped up a nearby spear and spun around, hurling it straight and hard…in the opposite direction of the demon.

Toward the place where Ranma was standing.

“Gack!” He leaned out of the way, arms flailing, as it flew straight over Kitsane’s head, the wind barely rustling her hair. Everyone looked on with wide eyes and embarrassed glances.

Akane stood up and snapped, “If you want to fight, Kitsane, then come out and fight me for real!”

Ranma looked down at the Fox god beside him. Her eyes twisted with the purples and violets of twilight. She blinked, then smiled, and in a hazy flash the black demon disappeared to the gasps of the soldiers. “Tee hee, good job, Akane! You figured out my illusion!”

Kuma’s booming laugh surprised everyone but the gods, nearly knocking Ranma over. “What did I say?” Kuma said. “I told you she could handle it!”

An illusion? An illusion wouldn’t make any vibrations in the earth, he guessed. Yet it had seemed so real. One guy was even bleeding from a stray swipe of its claws. Ranma stared down as Kitsane giggled, waving graciously to the injured men, who didn’t seem bothered if it was her doing.

Rozeki silently looked up at Ranma. He nodded his head toward Akane, and Ranma, unfortunately, got the hint. Seemed the Wolf god wasn’t finished with his entertainment just yet. Without taking a step that Akane might feel, Ranma grabbed hold of the shade, swinging to the top before bouncing off. He leapt straight over the group, landing carefully on the far side of Akane. She turned when she felt him land, immediately dropping to a fighting stance again.

She must have been tired, but that didn’t stop her from smugly saying, “Seriously, you guys still want more?”

Ranma stayed quiet, careful not to reveal it was him. With her blindfolded it wasn’t so bad for him to have to face her. Now he could see what she was made of for himself, and all he had to do was keep his movements on the ground as light as possible. He waited.

So did she.

Huh. She was obviously getting impatient, but she wasn’t going to attack first. Another thing that was different about her now. Well, fine, he could humor her. He headed straight toward her, practically jumping right into her striking zone rather than walking. She blocked his first attack, and he deftly stepped aside to avoid hers.

Then he had no idea what happened, but when he leaned in to throw his second punch she tensed up. He had to throw all his energy into shifting his fist, barely missing hitting her head on. They bumped into each other, and Akane, shockingly, was thrown off balance. Ranma caught her quickly by the wrist, keeping her from falling. With her free hand, she ripped off her blindfold, and Ranma found himself under the gaze of her dark brown eyes.

She stepped back, pulling her wrist free, and heading straight for Kuma. “Enough of this, Rozeki. I have things to do.”

Rozeki smirked after her, “Aw, Akane, but we were having so much fun. Can we at least continue this later, one-on-one?”

Akane didn’t bother answering him. Kuma followed her, slapping her on the back so hard she nearly fell over.

Rozeki arose, and his soldiers stood at attention. “Well, men, you have had a taste of not one, but three gods of Taios today. And a pitiful performance you put on.” His lip curled back, baring his fangs as he barked orders, calling his captains to run more exercises.

The others scrambled to obey, but Ranma hesitated, watching Akane head back into the palace. Had she realized it was him, even in so few steps? Had he wasted his first opportunity of being so close to her in three days? Not that there was much he could have said with everyone watching. The last thing he needed was any of the other gods thinking he might be suspicious. That would just make it more difficult to figure out which of them he should be the wariest of.

A presence caught his attention, and he looked up at the palace to see a figure sitting in a high window. Her long black hair draped behind her, and a pale green fan waved lazily in her hand. The woman was looking down, but not at the training grounds or the soldiers.

She was watching Akane.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

She’d been here before.

No. She hadn’t. But it was so familiar that each unexpected turn and mysterious hall felt like she’d wandered them a thousand times.

This deep in the mountain it was cold. Akane trailed her fingers along the stone walls, worn smooth over thousands of years. It was dark, but the dark didn’t bother her when she could feel the solid earth through her feet.

But it seemed the further she went the more her feet dragged. Her body felt heavy, so heavy she could barely lift it. Yet there was something behind her, relentlessly pushing her forward.

Her chest ached. She clutched at it, expecting to feel blood or a gaping wound. When she gasped there was a strange scent in the air, like iron, that made her nauseous.

“I don’t want to go any farther,” she tried to say. All that came out was a sob.

She was pushed forward.

The room was dim, but she quickly saw it did not sit undisturbed like the rest of the mountain tunnels. Paintings of animals and words on the walls had been scratched at and splattered with mud and blood. A gaping hole had been gauged into the earth, falling deeper and deeper until it gave way to white crystal beneath. Crystal that was black at the edges where it looked like it had been melted. The ugly ash mixed with the blood. So much blood. Bodies lay in undecipherable heaps of limbs and skin and organs. None of them looked human.

In the center of the pit was someone left alive. He sat hunched over the remains of something red and fleshy, and it pulsed in his hand. Akane watched in horror as he tore small pieces from it and put them absently in his mouth.

“This time,” the man said. “This time you eluded me…it won’t happen again. I won’t be tricked again.”

There was a smile in his voice, but a strange lilt made it feel hollow. Akane wanted to run away, but she had fallen to her knees, digging her nails into her chest.

“You can’t run,” he continued. “It’s only a matter of time.” He lifted his head, his unnervingly average face not matching the scene around him. His eyes slid up to meet hers.

“I’ll find it. I will.”

* * *

If the Wolf god was annoyingly attentive when he was prowling around the training grounds barking orders to his soldiers, then he was monstrously obnoxious when he loitered in the palace halls to intercept the female servants who wandered by.

Ranma fought to keep a smile on her face, lips twitching with the effort. “Pardon me, my Lord.”

“What’s your rush, my dear?” Rozeki smiled, leaning over her. “All work and no play will wrinkle that pretty face.”

She’d wrinkle his pretty face with a few knuckle sandwiches if he didn’t back off.

“Oh ho ho! Forgive me, my Lord! I’m afraid I’m expected in the kitchens,” Ranma replied, trying to carry her tea tray around him.

Rozeki stepped in front of her. Ranma held back a flinch as Rozeki reached forward and put a hand on her waist. “I’m sure they can spare you for a few minutes,” he said.

“Now, now, my Lord! You shouldn’t get the hopes up of little old me!” If Rozeki noticed that Ranma was abnormally strong for a servant girl, absolutely refusing to be pulled closer, it didn’t show on the man’s face. They stood in a stalemate in the middle of the morning hall, both smiling pleasantly at each other. The tea on the tray was cold, at least, so if it went flying all over Ranma she wouldn’t suddenly become Rozeki’s prized recruit standing in a too-small kimono, coyly giggling at him.

Akane had hardly touched her tea or breakfast before quickly leaving her bedroom. She’d been doing that more often lately, which was putting Palma in an even more overly protective mood than usual. Palma had Ranma and Shampoo lighting incense and switching pillows and adding calming salts to the bath, but Akane didn’t seem to notice any of it. At first, Ranma had thought Akane was still trying to avoid her and Shampoo. But after seeing Akane look more and more tired by the day, Ranma was certain something else was bothering her.

And if it pissed Ranma off that it seemed too easy for Akane to forget that they had kissed less than a week ago and hadn’t spoken to each other since, no one needed to know.

Rozeki getting in the way this morning was a sore temptation to take all of her frustration out on him.

The sharp snap of a familiar voice finally succeeded in making Ranma flinch.

“Rozeki!” Akane said, stalking down the hall towards them. Mousse was behind her, hurriedly folding a piece of parchment and slipping it into his sleeve.

Rozeki straightened and Ranma took a big step back, just as Akane stopped between them. She gave the Wolf god a scathing look that only another god could give him and not be killed immediately for.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t harass my servants,” Akane said, pushing Ranma behind her.

“You shouldn’t have hired such adorable servants if you didn’t want them getting a little harassed,” Rozeki said. His leering grin had turned fully to Akane as if Ranma weren’t there anymore, reaching out to hold her waist next. “Beautiful servants for a beautiful god.”

Akane didn’t look impressed but didn’t smack his hand away. Rozeki’s smile widened, his eyes making such a disgusting rake over Akane that Ranma’s nails dug into the wood of her tray painfully. Painful enough to distract her from the overwhelming desire to hit Rozeki so hard in his pretty face that it caved in on itself? Not really. But she was currently supposed to be a loyal servant, not a protective fiancé.

Ex-fiancé.

Why the hell wasn’t Akane pulling away from him? And why was Mousse standing there like it wasn’t happening? Weren’t he and Akane close or something? If that stupid bird brain didn’t rescue Akane from this jerk in point-five seconds, Ranma would use Mousse’s entire body to beat Rozeki to death. As it was, Mousse stood a few feet away, his hands in his sleeves and a serious crease between his eyebrows as he looked down the hallway.

“The other one is cute, too,” Rozeki said. “Since when do you keep servants, Akane? I thought you looked down on us other gods for that.” He sneered, revealing his sharp canines.

“You have enough servants of your own,” Akane said dryly. “Go play with yours and leave mine alone.”

“I’d gladly leave all of them alone, if you’d come play instead.”

_Crash._

Ranma looked down at the shattered tea set at her feet, cold tea seeping between the floorboards. Then she glanced at the tray in her hands, which she had snapped clean in half.

“Oops! So sorry!” Ranma laughed nervously under their surprised gazes and quickly bent to sweep the porcelain out of the way. “How clumsy of me!”

“Careful, dear,” Rozeki said smoothly, “Don’t cut yourself.”

“Oh ho, I won’t.” _I’ll cut you, you slimy son of a—_

Ranma froze when Akane bent beside her, picking up a few broken pieces and adding them to Ranma’s pile.

Days. It had been days since she had been this close. And of course, she chose now, under the eyes of Rozeki, when she would be safe from Ranma trying to talk to her about anything. That didn’t stop Ranma’s heart from skipping. Which made her flush in embarrassment—such a small moment could seem so big when you were as big an idiot as Ranma.

But when Akane looked up, Ranma sobered immediately. Despite the evident fatigue on her face, her brown eyes seemed even deeper. Pointed. Equally curious and resigned. She looked like she wanted to tell Ranma something.

What?

“If you two are done distracting the servants from their work, we should go. The others will be waiting,” Mousse said, not even looking at them.

“Eager are we, Phoenix?” Rozeki drawled, heading down the hallway. “What’s another routine meeting even for? We’re preparing for war; chatting over tea won’t change that.”

Rozeki passed Mousse, who shot a fervent glance at Akane. Ranma watched her stand and move toward Mousse.

“What’s taking so long? You know we don’t have much time for this,” Mousse whispered.

“I know, I’m sorry. Let’s go,” Akane whispered back. She followed him and didn’t look back at Ranma standing in the empty hall with a handful of broken shards.

But her eyes. What had she been trying to say?

A hand clapped down on either of Ranma’s shoulders, startling her enough that she dropped the broken tea set again, shattering it into further unrecognizable pieces. She spun to see Ukyo and Ryoga behind her, Shampoo standing beside them.

“Gack! You idiots! Don’t go sneaking up on a guy, it’s dangerous!” Ranma snapped.

“Who the hell was sneaking? It’s not our fault you were spacing out,” Ryoga said.

“So, you see Akane and Mousse pass by?” Ukyo asked.

“Huh? Uh, yeah. Just now,” Ranma replied.

“Hm, is too strange,” Shampoo said, frowning slightly.

“Why? What’s up?”

Ryoga and Ukyo glanced at each other.

“Seems like Mousse finally found something in all of the Frog’s old things,” Ukyo said. “He had me find Akane a bit ago. Acted all crazy about it.”

“When she got to his room, they closed the doors and were whispering like they had some big secret,” Ryoga said, crossing his arms. “No doubt about it, they figured something out. And they don’t intend on telling us what it is.”

“Any ideas what they found? What are they planning?” Ranma asked.

“Dunno. Mousse was just reading those dusty old rolls like he has been all day every day, and the next minute he was pacing like a maniac and telling us to find Akane,” Ryoga said.

“Mousse doesn’t put up a fight that we’re around, but he’s not letting us in on his plans, either. It’s like they don’t trust us anymore,” Ukyo said.

Hm. It felt like more than that to Ranma. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust them, but more like they didn’t _want_ to trust them. Like they wanted to leave their pasts before Taios behind. Had they been that unhappy? Mousse had always seemed fine with his life. Well. Other than being a blind, clumsy idiot who was in love with a girl that never looked at him twice.

And other than the occasional fight with Ranma, Akane had seemed happy with life. She had said Ranma was important to her. She had wanted him to look after her family and the dojo. This deadly world of monsters and backstabbing gods couldn’t be as good as living with her family and friends and indoor plumbing.

“Any luck finding out more about that dragon chick?” Ranma asked, dropping her voice.

Shampoo shook her head. “Is impossible. Door to room disappear when unwelcome person try it. Windows no better.”

“We’re still asking some of the servants, but they don’t seem to know much,” Ryoga said. “The Lady Dragon’s as much a mystery to them as she is to us. She’s been a god here the longest, but she does a good job of keeping to herself.”

“Don’t worry, though, Ryoga is working on a plan to seduce one of the Dragon’s servants to see if we can get more information,” Ukyo said.

“Heh? I’m not!” Ryoga flushed.

Ukyo elbowed him playfully. “Come on, that Sawako girl obviously thinks you’re cute. Akane seems indifferent, so might as well see where it goes.”

“Shut up! Akane’s in a delicate situation—when this war’s done and she’s safe at home, she’ll remember all of her real friends. Then we’ll rekindle our friendship, which will spark into a burning love, putting us right back on track. You’ll see.”

“Is world of dreams, but you still dream too unreal,” Shampoo told him flatly.

“I do not! Besides, Ukyo’s the one all the girls are in love with, not me. She should seduce her,” Ryoga shot back.

“Seems like a weird brag, considering you’re the real guy here and Ukyo’s just dressed as one,” Ranma pointed out.

“Uh…no, wait, hey. I am the real guy. They’re just intimidated by how handsome and strong I look,” Ryoga insisted.

“Sure, honey, keep telling yourself that,” Ukyo said, patting his shoulder.

They left the hallway together, Ranma hurrying to dispose of the broken tea set and change into a boy for training. His days were becoming routine. Train for Rozeki, clean for Palma, deal with Shampoo and Ukyo fighting in the kitchens and Ryoga wanting to spar constantly, and get stupidly excited when he glimpsed Akane during the day. If he wasn’t careful, he’d settle in and forget what he was here for.

He had made a promise that he would bring Akane home safe, but to be honest, he wasn’t getting any closer to that goal. He wasn’t getting any closer to her at all.

Damn it. What else could he do without making her so mad he drove her away completely? All the basic stuff he knew about, like sending flowers or chocolates or whatever, definitely wouldn’t work in this case. What else did a guy do for a warrior god who also happened to be the most stubborn and confusing girl he knew?

After he had been avoided by her for days, the directness of her gaze in the hallway minutes ago had been staggering. He was certain she had been trying to tell him something, but she was separated from him by beastly gods, a year of lost time, and something else intangible that was worse than anything else.

He had to find a way to close the gap.

* * *

They were all looking at her.

It wasn’t uncommon in meetings like this. She was often the only one voicing an opposing opinion, and they rarely liked it. She was used to their eyes unreservedly sizing her up. Even Kuma, her friend and teacher, often looked a little uncomfortable by her brazen opposition.

She kept her shoulders squared.

Mousse, whose aloof expression was fake, gave the tiniest of encouraging nods.

“Now?” Rozeki asked again, as though he didn’t understand what she was saying.

“Yes, now,” she tried to keep the growl out of her throat. She’d never been good at hiding her emotions, but right now wasn’t the time to let them fly. She needed them to believe her. “We’re days away from marching into the war and bringing with us half of Taios. It’s only right we visit the Goddess’s shrine and ask for her blessing.”

Kitsane rolled her eyes dramatically. Akane barely resisted the urge to pick up the embroidered pillow she had been kneeling on and throw it at Kitsane’s stupid face.

The inner shrine of the palace was a holy room, where only the gods were allowed. Red columns lined the room, leading the way to a large mural at the back. A beautiful woman was painted as tall as the room, her flowing kimono fading into the trees and earth. Across her shoulders sat the silver dragon, and surrounding her were the spirits of the other high gods—the phoenix, lion, and wolf. Flecks of gold paint reflected off of them in the candlelight.

Between the trees, carrying the Goddess’s light to the world, were the rest of the giant godly creatures: the fox, monkey, tanuki, frog, bear. And there, at the very bottom, as though the Goddess might be standing on it, was the painting of a white boar.

The gods themselves sat in a circle on red and gold cushions, the High gods a step above everyone else.

On the surface, the people surrounding her looked like ordinary people, but Akane could sense the sacred place at the centers of their souls where a mighty spirit dwelled. Spirits much stronger than her. Maybe the spirits would be easier to appeal to than their human vessels.

If they were, she’d never know. Her luck was never that good. She always had to do things the hard way.

Rozeki was talking. “I am not surprised such an adorable creature had such an adorable thought, but your duty is to be here. You’re a god of the House, not a shrine maiden. We’ll send a priest if you’d like.”

“I’d like to go myself,” Akane said.

“Of course, you would,” Kitsane smiled condescendingly. “Little Akane, always so much holier than the rest of us.”

“That’s _not_ what I—!” Akane stopped herself. “The Goddess deserves the respect from the _gods_ of asking for her blessing. We are Called to protect the world, and so it should be one of us. We can’t insult her when we’re in such a delicate situation to begin with.”

“Delicate?” Rozeki snorted.

Kuma folded his arms. “Akane, you must have more faith in the gods. We will stop Matsumoto and his army. We—including you—are strong enough to take them.”

“I _know._ I know I am a god; I won’t run away from a fight.”

“A worthy answer!” Kuma said with a grin. “Which is why we need you by our sides as we train our soldiers! There will be time for visiting shrines and saying little prayers when all this is over.”

Kuma! How could he be such a meathead sometimes? He always thought hitting first and talking later was the right answer.

She glanced at Sana, who was weaving shapes between her fingers with her black thread. The girl looked bored. She probably wasn’t even listening anymore. Mamoko’s fan was in front of her face, and her black eyes gave nothing away. Whether she disagreed or agreed, Akane was left to guess.

Mousse was barely hiding his impatience, but if he spoke up for Akane this time the others might get suspicious as to why they were so insistent on this trip to the Goddess’s shrine. She was on her own.

With a quick breath, she reached for the White Boar in her mind’s eye and felt his cool strength.

“I know that the gods defend the land, and I know that means Matsumoto will never succeed. But we can’t forget that this is the Goddess’s land, and it was she who charged the spirits with protecting it at the beginning of the world! I wouldn’t dare ask for one of you to go—you are far more important than I am and are needed here to inspire the people. So, let me go. And the wisdom and honor of the gods will be applauded and the whole House will get credit for the blessings.”

No one flinched, but she didn’t care about anyone but Rozeki. He was the one she needed to persuade, and by the conniving look in his eye, she had done it.

He stood up, his smile making her feel itchy. “Yes, why not send Akane to the mountain? Let us remind the people that we are blessed by the Goddess and that all of Taios should remember it.” He put his hands on her waist, not seeming to care that all the other gods were looking right at them. “Mamoko, any objections?”

Rozeki took Mamoko’s silence as a no.

“What say you, Phoenix? Shall we send your loyal comrade away from you?” he asked.

Mousse shrugged. “If she feels like she wants to go, let her. Just be quick, so we can move on to more important things.”

“Well, then,” Rozeki said, leaning closer to Akane. “Hurry home, my dear.”

She crossed her arms to keep from slapping his hands away. She couldn't piss him off now when she was getting what she wanted, or he'd change his mind. “Of course, my Lord.”

“Ooh. I love it when you call me that.”

She almost gagged when he walked around her, trailing his fingers across her stomach before heading for the door. “Back to work!” he barked over his shoulder before throwing the doors open.

Sana stood up and left without a word to anyone. Mamoko rose up gracefully and glided out of the room, not seeming to notice Akane trying to catch her eye. Did she think Akane was being silly for her request? Or did she recognize that there was a more intelligent purpose behind it?

Kuma passed with a smile and nod. She appreciated his pride in her, even if she didn’t always have his support.

“What a waste of time,” Kitsane said, a hand on her hip. “These meetings always are, but you always manage to drag them out even longer.”

“Sorry if I don’t want to look like an airhead and just agree with everything Rozeki says,” Akane said, letting her frustration into her voice full force now that Kitsane and Mousse were the only ones left. “You’re already doing such a great job of that, I don’t want to steal it from you.”

“You manipulative tramp,” Kitsane snarled. “You think you can just change your attitude once and have Rozeki falling all over you, doing whatever you want? He’ll see through you eventually and drop you where you stand.”

“Thank goodness. Having him falling all over me is the last thing I want.” Akane shuddered. “He’s gross.”

Kitsane looked more offended than ever. Smug, Akane left her standing there stuttering about Rozeki definitely _not_ being gross, and headed into the hall with Mousse.

“Oh, thank goodness!” Mousse gasped as soon as they were safe. He hung forward, letting his arms swing limply like wet noodles. “I thought I was going to explode in there.”

“Yeah, it’s a good thing no one was looking at you. You weren’t exactly being subtle,” she shot him a look, ignoring the fact she wasn’t much better.

“But Akaneeee they’re always so…yegh. I wanted to hit Rozeki so many times.”

“I wanted to hit him the whole time.”

“I dunno, Akane, he might get off on that.”

They both shuddered.

Mousse sobered, glancing down the hall to make sure they were alone. “You’ll leave tonight?”

She nodded. “As soon as I can, but I don’t want to seem too rushed, or someone might notice.” Or they’d think she was a coward, which she also wouldn’t allow. “You won’t tell the others, right?” The last thing she needed was Ranma, Ryoga, Ukyo, and Shampoo charging after her, getting in the way and blowing their cover.

“No way. I’ll keep an eye on them here. Once you’re gone, I’ll say it’s only to visit the shrine, and that you’ll be back soon.”

She smiled. “It is only to visit the shrine.”

He smiled back. “Of course.” He pulled a folded piece of old paper from his sleeve. She took it carefully. “Be careful. I don’t know what will be out there.”

She nodded. Mousse and Akane went everywhere together since they had been in Taios, visiting villages, fighting off small hordes of demons. The people had come to see them as a pair, who had been Called to the House at the same time as if as a sign. If she had any apprehension about going alone now, she would die before admitting it.

Besides, she knew Mousse was dying to be the one to go, but if he went it would draw more attention. Especially if there was anyone who thought the Frog’s student might be digging a little too deep into his master’s death.

She patted Mousse's shoulder, and he turned anxious eyes to her.

“I’ll be back by tomorrow night,” she said confidently. “Be ready. We’re going to catch a killer.”

A dark smile pulled across his face and they shared a nod. Then they turned and headed in opposite directions.

Akane nearly screamed when she turned the first corner only to see someone standing there. She clutched the paper Mousse had given her to her chest but relaxed slightly when she saw Mamoko.

“S-sorry, my Lady. I didn’t see you there,” Akane said.

Mamoko only looked back with her beautifully blank face. She blinked once, her black eyelashes impossibly long.

“Can I help you, my Lady?” Akane said, shifting. Feeling like someone was looking right through you wasn’t exactly comfortable.

“The gods live a long time. They do not always recognize when someone is plotting against them under their noses,” Mamoko said.

Akane’s blood chilled. “I-I’m not sure what you mean. I’m not—”

Mamoko’s statue-like stare broke and she began turning away. “Do not worry. I am not trying to stop you. You see more clearly than the rest of them. Follow your instincts and you will not fail. You must not fail.”

“I…I won’t let you down,” Akane said.

The woman took a step before pausing to say over her shoulder. “You have been blessed already. Do not neglect those gifts. We will need them all before the hunt ends.”

Akane swallowed, frozen in place until the Lady Dragon was well out of sight.

She had a very odd feeling that Mamoko hadn’t been talking about her trip to the Goddess’s shrine, but something else. Something coming. Akane wondered what, exactly, the dragon vessel’s powers were.

* * *

It was never a good sign when the Wolf god summoned you for a private talk.

The last soldier who had been called into Rozeki’s rooms a few days ago had never come back. Ranma was a lot stronger than that guy had been, and a lot more trusted by Rozeki, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t stay on his toes.

The Wolf god’s rooms in the south tower were massive and surprisingly less barbaric than Ranma was expecting. There were animal skins everywhere, of course, covering over-cushioned couches and pillows and the huge bed that took up the middle of the room. Long curtains hung over the sliding doors that were pulled open, letting in a breeze that ruffled them softly. At least a dozen servant girls milled about the room, although only a few of them seemed to be working. The rest lounged on pillows or played instruments or giggled in corners as they gave Ranma coy looks.

Ranma ignored them, vastly grateful that he and Shampoo hadn’t been dropped into Rozeki’s lap when they had first told Palma they wanted to be servants.

“Ah, Ranma,” Rozeki said when he saw him.

“My Lord,” Ranma replied with a bow.

“Come in, come in, I have something I want to talk to you about.” Rozeki dropped the maps in his hands on a table and shrugged off the woman leaning on his shoulder. He plopped down in a pile of cushions, which somehow made him seem even more like the dangerous god he was than usual.

Ranma stood in front of him. A couple girls nearby whispered to each other and one gave Ranma a wink. It seemed Rozeki didn’t mind talking in front of them. If any of them shared his secrets, he might just kill them. Ranma clenched his fists behind his back.

“Sure. What can I do for you?” Ranma asked.

Rozeki eyed him for a moment. “What brought you to the palace, Ranma?”

Ranma tensed. Was Rozeki on to them? If he found out Ranma and his friends were from Earth, what would he do? “Why am I here?” he repeated lamely.

“Mm. In the palace. Why serve the gods?” Rozeki’s grey eyes didn’t leave Ranma’s dark blue ones.

“I don’t serve the gods,” Ranma said quickly. Rozeki started to frown but Ranma continued, "I serve you.”

Rozeki grinned. “Oh, ho, not loyal to the other gods are you?”

“I am not _dis_ loyal. But actually, I can tell that they are all missing something. Something only you have. I only follow the strongest of men.”

“Is that so?”

Rozeki’s analytical stare melted into a simmering arrogance. This bastard was so easy to read. But that could only mean that he wasn’t worried about being read. That he was strong enough to hurt anyone who might try to use it against him.

Ranma didn’t hide the insincerity in his own voice as he replied, “Yes. That’s so.”

The Wolf god didn’t notice the small threat, or if he did, he didn’t take it seriously. But the next words out of his mouth genuinely surprised Ranma, “I have a mission for you. Would you like the opportunity to prove yourself to me?”

* * *

Akane should have known that Rozeki would make a bigger deal out of this than she wanted. She had convinced him to let her go by saying he’d get all the credit, so it made sense he’d want a lot of people to _see_ her going. It was a good thing Palma had fussed over her when she had said she was going to the Goddess’s shrine and made her wear one of her best silk shirts.

Armored soldiers lined the path from the palace doors to the massive red gate, which stood open. Beyond the gate was the Gousenki Forest. So close. If she could just get there without snapping, then she would be free in the earth and the trees again. Free of the dark nightmares that haunted her in these walls.

“Show off,” Mousse grumbled beside her, looking at the banners with the rising sun of Taios flying at Rozeki’s command. Akane sighed, too tired to be annoyed completely.

On her other side, Kuma patted her shoulder. “Travel safe, little Boar.”

“I will.” She smiled at him, then Mousse. “I won’t fail. I promise,” she told him. He gave her a meaningful nod and she squeezed his hand once.

She stepped off the palace’s porch and walked down the line of soldiers, who bowed their heads as she passed. When she reached the shadow of the gate, she saw Rozeki’s bulk standing to one side. Beside him was Ranma.

She only faltered for the length of one heartbeat before forcing herself to continue. If she could just get through this moment then she’d be running through the trees alone, able to think about him all she wanted without worrying about how she shouldn’t.

“So, you’re off,” Rozeki said loud enough for the soldiers to hear. “Go with the blessing of the House of Taios, Lady Boar.”

She bowed, as she was supposed to. When she straightened, Rozeki gestured to Ranma. “Lady Boar, you remember Ranma, my new lieutenant. You nearly had a little scuffle with him in the training grounds the other day.”

Her stomach flipped. Rozeki’s new lieutenant? Was Ranma that stupid? Oh, heavens, being on Rozeki’s good side was almost as perilous as being on his bad side. “I remember him,” she said.

“He will accompany you to the Goddess’s shrine.”

“What?” She snapped her eyes to him, then to Ranma, who was watching her carefully. “No, he can’t—why?”

“This is a time of war, my Lady. I’m not about to send one of my own into the wilderness without protection,” Rozeki explained too sweetly, putting a hand on her arm.

“I do not need _protection_ Rozeki,” she snapped, knocking his hand away. Offended. Embarrassed. Two dozen soldiers, Kuma, and Mousse were still watching. Ranma was watching. “I am a god of the House of Taios as much as you are! I am perfectly capable of _walking_ to the Goddess’s _guarded_ shrine by myself! Besides, he’s a human. He’s not welcome in the shrine.”

Rozeki put up his hands as though to calm her, which only made the heat rise in her face even more. “Now, now, I know you don’t need him, but it never hurts to have backup. Besides, think of it as a favor to me. I need my lieutenant as prepared as possible and having him pilgrimage to the holy mountain is a part of that. He’ll accompany you as far as the gate and wait for you there, where he'll meditate on his existence and things.” His eyes flashed and she didn’t miss the change in his tone, “And as I am a High god of the House, I know you will have no problem doing that for me.”

He clearly wasn’t giving her a choice. She bit her tongue and nodded, hoping he didn’t notice her trembling fists.

Rozeki ran a finger across her collar bone before leaning in and saying, “Good.” Then he walked back through the gate, signaling for the doors to be shut behind him.

Ranma looked back at her. “Uh…hey," he said.

She turned away and jogged toward the forest, feeling with every fiber of her being the moment when he followed, his footsteps echoing through the ground toward her.

The pilgrimage and the protection were blatant lies. There was no way Rozeki cared about his soldiers’ spiritual well-being when only hours ago he was against even the gods going to pay respects at the Goddess’s shrine. And he wouldn’t embarrass the House by saying one of the gods wasn’t strong enough to take care of herself. He’d proven the opposite by making her fight his soldiers just the other day.

Rozeki was up to something. Possibly, he was even on to her and Mousse’s plan. So much for Mamoko hinting at the gods’ ignorance.

But this was Ranma. As mad as he must be at her, she knew him well enough to know he wasn’t about to stab a friend in the back, literally or figuratively. Not when it mattered, anyway. She’d be safe from any sinister plans Rozeki might have in those regards.

The problem was, this was Ranma. Ranma, whom she had kissed. Ranma, whom she would be stuck alone with for a full twenty-four hours in a solitary forest. Ranma, who made her want to cry and wrap her arms around him just by looking at her.

Oh, gods. She needed more strength for this.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> So, I don't care how old this fandom is, Ranma is my heart and it never dies. Leave a comment or whatever if you feel me.


End file.
